Validity and Reliability of the Myotest Accelerometric System for the Assessment of Vertical Jump Height

• Published in: Journal of strength and conditioning research 2010-11, Vol.24 (11), p.3186-3193
• Main Authors: Casartelli, Nicola, Müller, Roland, Maffiuletti, Nicola A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Athletes; Athletic Performance - physiology; Athletic Performance - standards; Basketball; Basketball - physiology; Child; Exercise Test - methods; Exercise Test - standards; Humans; Male; Movement - physiology; Muscle Strength - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Reproducibility of Results; Sports Equipment - standards; Sports training; Studies; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1064-8011; 1533-4287
• DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181d8595c

Casartelli, N, Müller, R, and Maffiuletti, NA. Validity and reliability of the Myotest accelerometric system for the assessment of vertical jump height. J Strength Cond Res 24(11)3186-3193, 2010-The aim of the present study was to verify the validity and reliability of the Myotest accelerometric system (Myotest SA, Sion, Switzerland) for the assessment of vertical jump height. Forty-four male basketball players (age range9-25 years) performed series of squat, countermovement and repeated jumps during 2 identical test sessions separated by 2-15 days. Flight height was simultaneously quantified with the Myotest system and validated photoelectric cells (Optojump). Two calculation methods were used to estimate the jump height from Myotest recordingsflight time (Myotest-T) and vertical takeoff velocity (Myotest-V). Concurrent validity was investigated comparing Myotest-T and Myotest-V to the criterion method (Optojump), and test-retest reliability was also examined. As regards validity, Myotest-T overestimated jumping height compared to Optojump (p < 0.001) with a systematic bias of approximately 7 cm, even though random errors were low (2.7 cm) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) where high (>0.98), that is, excellent validity. Myotest-V overestimated jumping height compared to Optojump (p < 0.001), with high random errors (>12 cm), high limits of agreement ratios (>36%), and low ICCs (9 cm). In conclusion, Myotest-T is a valid and reliable method for the assessment of vertical jump height, and its use is legitimate for field-based evaluations, whereas Myotest-V is neither valid nor reliable.