Fitness Testing
Fitness Testing > Tests > Aerobic Endurance > Swimming Shuttle
10 meter Multistage Shuttle Swim Test (MSST)
This test is a variation on the beep test, or shuttle run, called the Water Polo Intermittent Shuttle Test (WIST) or the 10 meter Multistage Shuttle Swim Test (MSST). This test has been developed by sport scientists in Western Australia, to assess a player's ability to perform repeated high-intensity efforts interspersed with brief periods of active recovery. Studies have found that it is a reliable and valid field test of aerobic fitness for use with trained water polo players.
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purpose: To test the aerobic fitness of water polo players
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equipment required: swimming pool, cd, cd player.
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description: This test is a variation on the established testing protocol for the running shuttle test, but specific for water polo players and carried out in a pool. It is not continuous like the shuttle run — players swim, then rest, then swim, which replicates what would happen during a water polo game.
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scoring: The athlete's score is the level and number of shuttles reached before they were unable to keep up with the recording.
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target population: It is a test of aerobic fitness for competitive water polo players. The test is suitable for all players (male and female) ranging from school/club standard through to international level.
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reliability: In the published research paper, test-retest reliability was determined using a sample of 22 female and 22 male water polo players. An intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.99 (p>0.05) was calculated between the two test scores. The technical error of measurement for the test was 2.3 shuttles or 5.0%.
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validity: A validation correlation coefficient of 0.88 was found between the number of shuttles completed during the MSST and VO2max measured during an incremental tethered swim test to exhaustion. A stepwise multiple regression revealed that VO2max accounted for approximately 78% of the MSST variance.
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advantages: The test allows a whole team to have their aerobic fitness effectively assessed using minimal time and pool space.
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disadvantages: As with the running beep test, practice and motivation levels can influence the score attained, and the scoring can be subjective.
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comments: The test was designed and produced by the Western Australian Institute of Sport and The University of Western Australia (Department of Human Movement and Exercise Science)
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reference: Rechichi, C. Dawson, B. & Lawrence, S.R. (2000). A multistage shuttle swim test to assess aerobic fitness in competitive water polo players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 3(1): 55-64.
Related Pages
- Swimming Beep Test
- Swimming Fitness Testing
- The complete guide to the beep test for links to more information
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