Establishing the Test-Retest Reliability & Concurrent Validity for the Repeat Ice Skating Test (RIST) in Adolescent Male Ice Hockey Players

In this study the authors examine the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of the Repeat Ice Skating Test (RIST). This was an on-ice field anaerobic test that measured average peak power and was validated with 3 anaerobic lab tests: (a) vertical jump, (b) the Margaria-Kalamen stair test, and (c) the Wingate Anaerobic Test. The participants (n = 14) were 11- to 12-year-old males selected from a Peewee "A" level ice hockey team (Thunder Bay, Canada). The results of the test-retest reliability estimation showed that the RIST was a reliable test at measuring average peak power in watts (R = .99, C.I.(95%) = 0.97 to 0.99) and watts per kilogram (R = .98, C.I.(95%) = 0.94 to 0.99). The RIST was also a valid test when correlated with the 3 anaerobic lab tests for measuring peak power in watts: vertical jump (r = .86, C.I.(95%) = 0.72 to 0.94), Margaria-Kalamen stair test (r =.66, C.I.(95%) = 0.39 to 0.83) and Wingate Anaerobic Test (r = .86, C.I.(95%) = 0.72 to 0.93). The test is considered promising because it does not require any specific equipment, and is a sport-specific, on-ice test, that can be administered during a regular ice hockey practice session.