Validation of the 12-Minute Swim as a Field Test of Peak Aerobic Power in Young Women

• Published in: Research quarterly for exercise and sport 1992-06, Vol.63 (2), p.153-161
• Main Authors: Conley, Donovan S., Cureton, Kirk J., Hinson, Bryan T., Higbie, Elizabeth J., Weyand, Peter G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; aerobic capacity; Biological and medical sciences; Exercise Test; exertion; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; metabolism; Oxygen Consumption; physical endurance; Physical Fitness; Reproducibility of Results; Running; Swimming; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports
• ISSN: 0270-1367; 2168-3824
• DOI: 10.1080/02701367.1992.10607575

The purposes of this study were to validate the 12-min swim as a field test of VO 2 peak in female recreational swimmers and to compare its validity with that of the 12-min run. The results are contrasted with those previously reported on a comparable group of male recreational swimmers. Thirty-four young women completed 12-min swim, 12-min run, tethered swimming VO 2 peak, and treadmill running VO 2 peak tests within 3 weeks. Mean (± SD) 12-min swim and run distances were 597 ± 82 and 2, 313 ± 317 m, and mean tethered swim and treadmill run VO 2 peak values were 39.2 ± 4.9 and 45.4 ± 6.3 ml·kg BW −1 ·min −1 , respectively. Correlation coefficients and standard errors of estimate for predictions of swimming VO 2 peak from the 12-min swim (42 and 4.5 ml·kg BW −1. min −1 ) and run (58 and 4.1 ml·kg BW −1. min −1 ) and for predictions of treadmill run VO 2 peak from the 12-min swim (34 and 6.0 ml·kg BW −1. min −1 ) and run (87 and 3.2 ml·kg BW −1. min −1 ) indicated that the 12-min run was a more accurate predictor of tethered swim or treadmill run VO 2 peak than the 12-min swim. These data are in close agreement with our previous study on young male recreational swimmers. We conclude that the 12-min swim has relatively low validity as a field test of peak aerobic power and that it is not an equally valid alternative to the 12-min run in young adult female recreational swimmers. However, in our sample, the accuracy of predicting VO 2 peak from the 12-min swim is comparable to some other commonly used field tests, and, therefore, the 12-min swim may be useful for classifying fitness in situations that do not require a high level of accuracy. Cross-validation is needed to determine the stability of these validity data, especially in samples that include low-fit individuals.