Cunningham and Faulkner test

 The objective of the test is to monitor the athlete’s anaerobic capacity.

Required resources

• Treadmill capable of 20% gradient
• Stop watch
• Assistant.

How to conduct the test

• The athlete undertakes a warm-up on the treadmill
• A few short practice starts getting onto the treadmill at the test speed should also be performed
• The treadmill is set at 8.0 miles/hr (12.9 km/hr) speed and incline of 20%
• The test continues until exhaustion, meaning the athlete cannot maintain the speed required
• The assistant records the time to the nearest 0.5 seconds.

Analysis

Analysis of the result is by comparing the time with the results of previous tests. It is expected that, with appropriate training between each test, the analysis would indicate an improvement.

Target group

This test is suitable for sprint  and endurance athletes and players of endurance sports(soccer, rugby…) but not for individuals where the test would be contraindicated.

Reliability

Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted and the individual’s level of motivation to perform the test.

Validity

There are no published tables to relate results to potential performance in competition.