Running
to the beep
By
SGT Rob Orr
THE
Progressive Shuttle Run test (PSRT) – more commonly referred
to as the “beep test” – is an effective way
of determining your aerobic capacity.
As such it is often employed in the sporting arena (the Australian
version was actually developed by the Institute of Sport)
and ADF as a means of measuring aerobic ability.
The test involves walking, jogging and running back and forth
between two points, 20m apart.
Every minute (approximately) the cadence is increased slightly
until the participant is no longer able to reach the opposing
20m point in time with the “beep”.
Each level and sub-level completed is recorded with the last
lap completed successfully being the end score.
The current requirement to join the ADF is Level 7.5 for Army
and 6.5 for Air Force and Navy.
The PSRT is a useful assessment tool in that it can be correlated
to VO2 scores (volume of air consumed), which, through development
of normative data, allows the comparison between your aerobic
fitness and that of unfit, normal and elite athlete categories.
Furthermore, unlike the 2.4km run, where the less fit you
are the longer you are out running, in the PSRT the less fit
you are the sooner you cease and hence less overall work is
completed.
Other benefits include, the ability to conduct this aerobic
assessment indoors where the sprung floors provide some cushioning,
protection against the elements, a flat course and, in case
of emergency, you are in a facility with other members, a
first aid kit and a telephone nearby.
As with any training progression is the key. Also be aware
that the continual stopping, starting and rotating may place
strain on the knees and ankles, so you should ensure that
you are physically prepared to conduct a PSRT.
There are various ways of improving your PSRT performance
and improving your aerobic ability; a set level
(and therefore speed) can be selected and repeated for several
minutes, you could partner up and alternate a 40m run (running
the 20m distance each way) as the speeds increase, do fartlek
training by jumping around the levels (e.g. Level 1-5, 10,
6, 12 etc) or complete intervals on a 1:3 ratio (run one,
rest three).
If you’re keen, contact your local PTI for variations.
*
Level
|
Number
of stages |
Distance
in metres
|
Progressive
distance |
| 1 |
7 |
140 |
0 |
| 2 |
8 |
160 |
140 |
| 3 |
8 |
160 |
300 |
| 4 |
9 |
180 |
460 |
| 5 |
9 |
180 |
640 |
| 6 |
10 |
200 |
820 |
| 7 |
10 |
200 |
1020 |
| 8 |
11 |
220 |
1220 |
| 9 |
11 |
220 |
1440 |
| 10 |
11 |
220 |
1660 |
| 11 |
12 |
240 |
1880 |
| 12 |
12 |
240 |
2120 |
| 13 |
13 |
260 |
2360 |
| 14 |
13 |
260 |
2620 |
| 15 |
13 |
260 |
2880 |
| 16 |
14 |
280 |
3140 |
| 17 |
14 |
280 |
3420 |
| 18 |
15 |
300 |
3700 |
| 19 |
15 |
300 |
4000 |
| 20 |
16 |
320 |
4300 |
| 21 |
16 |
320 |
4620 |
Total
|
|
|
4940 |
