Comparison of the Gauntlet Test With Standard Laboratory Measures of Aerobic Fitness

Burnsed-Torres, ML, Wichmann, TK, Clayton, ZS, and Hahn, ME. Comparison of the Gauntlet test with standard laboratory measures of aerobic fitness. J Strength Cond Res 36(2): 386-391, 2022-The purpose of this study was to validate whether the Gauntlet test (GT) can accurately estimate individual aerobic endurance performance compared with standard laboratory-based physiological tests. The GT required athletes to complete 5 maximal effort running stages, with a 1-minute break between each stage, with the goal of achieving the best overall time. Eighteen men (n = 9) and women (n = 9) (age, 23.5 ± 4.13 years; body mass index, 23.1 ± 7.62 kg·m-2; 5k time, 22 ± 7 minutes; 10k time, 47 ± 15 minutes; V̇o2max, 52.3 ± 8 ml·kg-1·min-1) completed a lactate threshold test and V̇o2max test (laboratory measures). Four to 14 days later, subjects completed the GT on an outdoor track. Blood lactate (bLa), V̇o2max, and heart rate (HR) were recorded during the laboratory session. Blood lactate, HR, stage completion time, and overall completion time were recorded during the GT. Linear regression correlation analyses revealed a significant inverse association between V̇o2max (mL·kg-1·min-1) and GT completion time (r = -0.88, P < 0.0001). In addition, there were significant correlations between V̇o2max maximum HR and GT maximum HR (r = 0.89, P < 0.0001) and V̇o2max 3-minute post bLa and GT 3-minute post bLa (r = 0.63, P = 0.0029). Sex-specific analysis showed significant inverse associations between female and male GT completion time and V̇o2max (r = -0.70, P = 0.0352; r = -0.94, P < 0.0002). Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate concordance between GT completion time, V̇o2max, maximum HR, and 3-minute post bLa. Results suggest the GT is a valid assessment to accurately estimate aerobic endurance performance similar to standard laboratory methods.