title: Validation of the 12-minute swim as a field test of peak aerobic power in young women.
abstract: The purposes of this study were to validate the 12-min swim as a field test of VO2 peak in female recreational swimmers and to compare its validity with that of the 12-min run. The results are contrasted with those previously reported on a comparable group of male recreational swimmers. Thirty-four young women completed 12-min swim, 12-min run, tethered swimming VO2 peak, and treadmill running VO2 peak tests within 3 weeks. Mean (+/- SD) 12-min swim and run distances were 597 +/- 82 and 2,313 +/- 317 m, and mean tethered swim and treadmill run VO2 peak values were 39.2 +/- 4.9 and 45.4 +/- 6.3 ml.kg BW-1.min-1, respectively. Correlation coefficients and standard errors of estimate for predictions of swimming VO2 peak from the 12-min swim (.42 and 4.5 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and run (.58 and 4.1 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and for predictions of treadmill run VO2 peak from the 12-min swim (.34 and 6.0 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) and run (.87 and 3.2 ml.kg BW-1.min-1) indicated that the 12-min run was a more accurate predictor of tethered swim or treadmill run VO2 peak than the 12-min swim. These data are in close agreement with our previous study on young male recreational swimmers. We conclude that the 12-min swim has relatively low validity as a field test of peak aerobic power and that it is not an equally valid alternative to the 12-min run in young adult female recreational swimmers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, University of Georgia, Athens.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Conley
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Cureton
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Hinson
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Higbie
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Weyand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012420:Running; D013550:Swimming