Modification of Cooper’s 12-min Run Test for Valid Prediction of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Male and Female Boxers of India

Abstract

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the authenticity for application of Cooper’s 12 min run test (CRT) to predict VO2max in male and female boxers in India. METHODS Participants of both sexes (male=70, female=60) were recruited from different boxing clubs in India, and randomly allocated to the study group (male = 40, female = 30) and cross-validation group (male = 30, female = 30). VO2max was directly estimated by bicycle exercise with progressive workload followed by expired gas analysis in a Scholander micro-gas analyzer. CRT method was used for indirect prediction of VO2max. RESULTS Predicted VO2max (PVO2max) and directly measured VO2max were found to be significantly (p<0.001) different in the study groups of both sexes, with wide range of limit of agreement between PVO2max and VO2max. This indicates the inapplicability of existing CRT protocol in the male and female boxers. Simple linear regression was computed owing to existence of significant positive correlation (r = 0.84 and 0.89 in males and females, respectively; p<0.001) between VO2max and distance covered in the run test. These newly derived norms depicted insignificant variation between PVO2max and VO2max in the confirmatory group of both sexes. CONCLUSIONS Modified equations computed in this study for the prediction of cardiorespiratory fitness in terms of VO2max by CRT were recommended in male and female Indian boxers.

Keywords

• cooper test
• boxer
• vo
• cardiorespiratory fitness