The Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance Level 2 Test: Reliability of Performance Scores, Physiological Responses and Overload Characteristics in Competitive Soccer, Basketball and Volleyball Players

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and reproducibility of the physiological and overload features of the Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test level 2 (Yo-Yo IE2) in competitive male soccer (n = 20), basketball (n = 11), and volleyball players (n = 10). The participants completed Yo-Yo IE2 tests on three separate occasions with assessment of performance, heart rate, running speed, accelerations, decelerations and body load using GPS instrumentation. The intra-class correlation coefficient index, confidence intervals and coefficients of variation were calculated to assess the reliability of the test. Intra-class correlation coefficients for test-retest trials in the total sample ranged from large to nearly perfect (total distance: 0.896; mean speed: 0.535; maximum speed: 0.715; mean HR: 0.876; maximum HR: 0.866; body load: 0.865). The coefficients of variation for distance, mean speed, HR response, as well as acceleration and deceleration scores for test-retest trials ranged from 1.2 to 12.5% with no differences observed among particular sport disciplines. The CV for shuttles performed ranged from 4.4 to 5.5% in all sports. Similar results were obtained for the three different categories of players tested. These results suggest that the Yo-Yo IE2 test appears to be a reliable alternative for evaluating the ability to perform intermittent high-intensity running in different outdoor and indoor team sports. Players may need one or two familiarization tests to ensure valid assessment of intermittent endurance capacity. It appears that the Yo-Yo IE2 test incorporates accelerations and decelerations in a consistent and reproducible fashion.