The MAS test is a method used to determine an athlete's Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS), a key physiological marker for endurance performance. Maximal Aerobic Speed, often referred to as MAS, represents the lowest running speed at which an athlete reaches their maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max). It is a crucial metric for athletes across various sports, particularly those requiring sustained effort.
MAS is a highly effective tool for measuring performance, prescribing training, and monitoring training loads. Understanding an individual's MAS allows coaches and athletes to tailor training programs with precision, ensuring workouts are challenging enough to stimulate adaptation without leading to overtraining.
Why is MAS Important for Athletes and Coaches?
MAS provides a practical and accessible way to quantify an athlete's aerobic fitness, offering several benefits:
- Performance Measurement: It offers a benchmark to track improvements in aerobic capacity over time.
- Training Prescription: MAS is directly used to set individualized training intensities, making workouts more effective and specific to an athlete's current fitness level.
- Load Monitoring: By tracking changes in MAS, coaches can assess recovery, adaptation, and overall training stress.
- Talent Identification: In some contexts, a higher MAS can indicate greater potential for endurance-based sports.
- Injury Prevention: Proper training loads based on MAS can help reduce the risk of overtraining injuries.
How is MAS Tested? Common Protocols
Several protocols exist to determine an athlete's MAS, ranging from continuous runs to intermittent shuttle tests. Each test has its own advantages and is suitable for different contexts or sport demands.
The 5-Minute Continuous Run Test
This is one of the simplest and most common MAS tests.
- Protocol: Athletes run at the highest sustainable pace for 5 minutes.
- Calculation: The total distance covered in 5 minutes is measured, and then divided by the time (300 seconds) to get the average speed in meters per second (m/s).
- Example: If an athlete covers 1500 meters in 5 minutes, their MAS would be 1500m / 300s = 5 m/s.
- Pros: Easy to administer, requires minimal equipment (track or measured course), good for individual assessment.
- Cons: Requires strong pacing ability from the athlete, less specific for sports involving frequent changes in direction or intensity.
30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15 IFT)
Developed by Dr. Martin Buchheit, the 30-15 IFT is an increasingly popular test, especially in team sports, due to its intermittent nature.
- Protocol: Athletes run back and forth over a 40-meter course, with 30-second running bouts interspersed with 15-second active recovery periods (walking). The speed increases incrementally after each recovery period. The test continues until the athlete can no longer maintain the required pace.
- Calculation: The final running speed reached and successfully completed for an entire stage is considered the MAS.
- Pros: Simulates intermittent demands of many sports, accounts for acceleration/deceleration, sensitive to changes in fitness.
- Cons: Requires specific audio cues, a measured course, and multiple participants can make it logistically challenging.
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test
There are several versions of the Yo-Yo test, but the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) and Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2) are widely used.
- Protocol: Athletes run between two markers (20 meters apart) at a progressively increasing speed, dictated by audio signals. After each shuttle, there's a short active recovery period (5 or 10 seconds) where they walk or jog around a cone. The test stops when the athlete fails to reach the line in time twice.
- Calculation: The total distance covered is used to estimate MAS or a specific endurance index.
- Pros: Excellent for team sports, measures ability to perform repeated high-intensity efforts with brief recovery, good indicator of game-specific fitness.
- Cons: Requires specific audio files and marking, less a direct measure of MAS and more an intermittent endurance capacity test.
Calculating and Applying Your MAS
Once an athlete's MAS is determined, it becomes a powerful tool for structuring training.
Calculating MAS (General)
While specific tests like the 30-15 IFT provide MAS directly, for continuous tests like the 5-minute run, the calculation is straightforward:
MAS (m/s) = Total Distance Covered (meters) / Total Time (seconds)
For example, if an athlete runs 1650 meters in 5 minutes (300 seconds):
MAS = 1650 m / 300 s = 5.5 m/s
To convert to km/h: 5.5 m/s * 3.6 = 19.8 km/h.
Practical Application in Training
MAS is commonly used to prescribe interval training, which is highly effective for improving aerobic capacity. Training intensities are often expressed as a percentage of an athlete's MAS.
Example Training Prescription:
| Training Zone | % of MAS | Duration | Repetitions | Recovery | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 100-120% | 15-60 seconds | 8-15 | Equal or 2x work | VO2 max improvement, speed endurance |
| Moderate | 90-95% | 60-120 seconds | 4-8 | 1-1.5x work | Aerobic power, lactate threshold improvement |
| Low | 70-85% | 3-5 minutes | 2-4 | 1-2 minutes | Aerobic base, extensive interval training |
- Example Scenario: An athlete with a MAS of 5 m/s (18 km/h) might be prescribed intervals at 110% MAS. This means running at 5.5 m/s (19.8 km/h) for a set duration, followed by specific recovery. This method ensures that the training stimulus is individualized and precisely targeted to improve their aerobic system.
Benefits of Utilizing MAS in Training
Integrating MAS into an athlete's training program offers numerous advantages:
- Personalization: Training is tailored to the individual, maximizing effectiveness.
- Progression: Provides a clear metric to track improvement and adjust training intensity over time.
- Efficiency: Optimizes training time by ensuring athletes are working in the correct physiological zones.
- Reduced Guesswork: Takes the ambiguity out of intensity prescription, leading to more structured and scientific training.
- Motivation: Athletes can see tangible improvements in their MAS, which can boost motivation.
MAS testing provides an invaluable foundation for sophisticated and effective endurance training. By understanding an athlete's maximal aerobic speed, coaches can design programs that push boundaries efficiently and safely.
