Author and graduation date: Dawn R. HUSE, May, 1998

Committee members: Patricia Patterson (Chair), Jeanne Nichols, Mark Butler

Thesis title: Validity and Reliability of the Cooper 12-Minute Swimming Test in High School Boys Ages 13-17

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Cooper 12-Minute Swimming Test in high school boys ages 13-17. Thirty-five students performed three 12-minute swims and one maximal graded treadmill test within a 14-day period. Order of testing was counterbalanced to avoid any testing effect. One practice swim was conducted I week prior to participation in this study. Maximal graded exercise testing protocol consisted of one 3-minute stage at 3 mph, one 3-minute stage at a speed up to 6 mph, and subsequent stages increasing 2% every minute until exhaustion. V02 was directly measured and analyzed by the Truemax 2400 metabolic cart. One hundred percent of the participants achieved a V02 plateau, 85 % age predicted maximum heart rate (2.20-age), and volitional fatigue, while 89% of the participants also achieved a respiratory exchange ratio greater than 1.0. Test-retest reliability assessed via one-way ANOVA indicated high reliability (R= .87; 95 % CI = .74 to .92) for the entire group (N=35) and moderate reliability (R = .66; 95 % CI = .42 to .81) for a subgroup (N=33) that excluded two divers.

Concurrent validity assessed via a Pearson Product Moment Correlation indicated a low relationship (r = .26; 95 % CI = -.08 to .55) for the entire group and a low to moderate relationship (r = .47; 95 % CI = .15 to .70) for the subgroup. Results indicated that while the Cooper 12-minute swimming test is reliable after two practice swims, it does not appear to be a valid field test for predicting maximal aerobic capacity in high school boys ages 13-17.

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