Sport, Performance, and Nutrition Research Group, School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2024 Jul;124(7):2093-2100. doi: 10.1007/s00421-024-05435-0. Epub 2024 Feb 28.
Understanding the test-retest reliability of physiological responses to load carriage influences the interpretation of those results. The aim of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of physiological measures during loaded treadmill walking at 5.5 km h using the MetaMax 3B.
Fifteen Australian Army soldiers (9 male, 6 female) repeated two 12-min bouts of treadmill walking at 5.5 km h in both a 7.2 kg Control condition (MetaMax 3B, replica rifle) and a 23.2 kg Patrol condition (Control condition plus vest) across three sessions, separated by one week. Expired respiratory gases and heart rate were continuously collected, with the final 3 min of data analysed. Ratings of Perceived Exertion and Omnibus-Resistance Exercise Scale were taken following each trial. Reliability was quantified by coefficient of variation (CV), intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), smallest worthwhile change (SWC), and standard error of the measurement.
Metabolic and cardiovascular variables were highly reliable (≤ 5% CV; excellent-moderate ICC), while the respiratory variables demonstrated moderate reliability (< 8% CV; good-moderate ICC) across both conditions. Perceptual ratings had poorer reliability during the Control condition (12-45% CV; poor ICC) than the Patrol condition (7-16% CV; good ICC).
The test-retest reliability of metabolic and cardiovascular variables was high and relatively consistent during load carriage. Respiratory responses demonstrated moderate test-retest reliability; however, as the SWC differed with load carriage tasks, such data should be interpreted independently across loads. Perceptual measures demonstrated poor to moderate reliability during load carriage, and it is recommended that they only be employed as secondary measures.
了解负荷行走时生理反应的重测信度会影响对这些结果的解释。本研究的目的是确定使用 MetaMax 3B 在 5.5km/h 的跑步机上行走时，在负载条件下进行两次 12 分钟的测试，以确定生理测量的重测信度。
15 名澳大利亚陆军士兵（9 名男性，6 名女性）在三个试验中，每周间隔一次，重复两次在 5.5km/h 的跑步机上行走 12 分钟，在控制条件（MetaMax 3B，复制步枪）和巡逻条件（控制条件加上背心）下各进行一次。连续采集呼出的气体和心率，分析最后 3 分钟的数据。每次试验后，记录感觉用力程度和全身阻力运动量表的评分。
代谢和心血管变量的可靠性很高（≤5%的 CV；优秀到中等 ICC），而在两种条件下，呼吸变量的可靠性为中等（<8%的 CV；良好到中等 ICC）。在控制条件下（12-45%的 CV；低 ICC），感知评分的可靠性比巡逻条件（7-16%的 CV；高 ICC）差。
在负荷行走时，代谢和心血管变量的重测信度较高且相对一致。呼吸反应的重测信度为中等；然而，由于 SWC 随负荷任务的不同而不同，因此应独立于负荷进行此类数据的解释。在负荷行走时，知觉测量的可靠性较差到中等，建议仅将其作为次要测量。
