Reproducibility of the intermittent Spartacus Run Test in obese adolescents

BACKGROUND: Evaluating physical fitness in obese children is a core element of their clinical management that requires population specific and reliable standards to detect estimates of functional capacity. The aims of the present study were: 1) to estimate the reproducibility of the newly developed Spartacus intermittent run test in adolescents with obesity; and 2) to compare the Spartacus Test with two commonly used tests (20-meter shuttle run test [20-SRT] and the multistage track test) for assessing functional capacity in this population. METHODS: Twelve obese adolescent girls (12-15-years old, BMI: 34.5±4.1 kg/m²) performed a 20-SRT, a multistage track test (MSTT) and the Spartacus Test. The Spartacus Test was performed three times to evaluate its reproducibility. Maximal speed, maximal heart rate (HRmax) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured following each test. RESULTS: The adolescents reached higher maximal speeds following the Spartacus test compared to the two other tests (P