Affiliations: [a] School of Health Sciences, Liverpool Hope University,
Liverpool, UK | [b] School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population
Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Note: [] Corresponding author: John K. Malone, School of Health Sciences,
Liverpool Hope University, Hope Park, Liverpool, L16 9JD, UK. Tel.: +44 151 291
3849 (Office)/+44 77 57210263 (Mobile); Fax: +44 151 291 3100; E-mail: malonej1@hope.ac.uk
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Test-retest reliability of performing 1–2
bouts of a 30 s Wingate (30WanT) has been shown to improve by averaging 2
bouts. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether adding a 3rd bout
enhanced or decreased reliability. METHODS: On three occasions, 13
triathletes performed three 30WanT's on a cycle ergometer. Peak power (PP),
mean power (MP) and fatigue index (FI) reliability across bouts (Intra-session)
and days (Inter-session) were tested. Mean and % change between bouts,
typical errors of measurement (TEM) and intra-class correlation co-efficient
(ICC) were compared between consecutive pairs of bouts and 3 bouts. Single (1
& 2), averaged 2 (Σ 1+2) and 3 bout (Σ 1+2+3) between
days using TEMs and ICCs were also compared. RESULTS: Intra-session
ICCs for 2 and 3 bouts for PP, MP and FI showed strong reliability (>
0.7). Three bouts had lower TEM for MP, but 2 bouts had less TEM for PP and FI.
Inter-session reliability ICCs were > 0.90 for PP, 0.94 for MP and 0.82
for FI for the 1, 2 and 3 bouts with no clear difference between. CONCLUSIONS: Performing 1, 2 and 3 bouts showed high to very high
reliability, with a 3rd bout not clearly reducing TEM, and in some cases
introducung more variability.
