Beep Test / Bleep Test

What is the Beep Test?

The Beep Test, sometimes known as the Bleep Test is used to test an athletes fitness and can measure VO2 Maximum pretty well.

It comes in the form of a tape/CD/MP3 which has beeps that go off every few seconds. During that time, the runner must reach the other end of the course, before turning and returning to the first point by the next beep.

Performing the Beep Test

To perform the test two lines are put out on a flat, dry surface 20m apart.

Start the recording and wait for the instructions. At the start of the test, the athlete runs from one line to the other.

He must reach the line (putting his foot on or over it) before returning to the first line by the next beep.

This continues until the athlete can no longer keep up with the beeps (2 beeps can be missed, before the athlete is out on the third one.

After each minute (which is a stage) the interval between the beeps decreases so the speed of the athlete must increase.

It is important the the tape is calibrated (using the minute interval at the start of the recording) so that the intervals are correct.

Scientists at Loughborough University developed the following table for the production of VO2 Maximum results from the Beep Test.

LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
4	2	26.8	5	2	30.2
4	4	27.6	5	4	31
4	6	28.3	5	6	31.8
4	9	29.5	5	9	32.9
LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
6	2	33.6	7	2	37.1
6	4	34.3	7	4	37.8
6	6	35	7	6	38.5
6	8	35.7	7	8	39.2
6	10	36.4	7	10	39.9
LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
8	2	40.5	9	2	43.9
8	4	41.1	9	4	44.5
8	6	41.8	9	6	45.2
8	8	42.4	9	8	45.8
8	10	43.3	9	11	46.6
LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
10	2	47.4	11	2	50.8
10	4	48	11	4	51.4
10	6	48.7	11	6	51.9
10	8	49.3	11	8	52.5
10	11	50.2	11	10	53.1
			11	12	53.7
LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
12	2	54.3	13	2	57.6
12	4	54.8	13	4	58.2
12	6	55.4	13	6	58.7
12	8	56	13	8	59.3
12	10	56.5	13	10	59.8
12	12	57.1	13	13	60.6
LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
14	2	61.l	15	2	64.6
14	4	61.7	15	4	65.1
14	6	62.2	15	6	65.6
14	8	62.7	15	8	66.2
14	10	63.2	15	10	66.7
14	13	64	15	13	67.5
LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
16	2	68	17	2	71.4
16	4	68.5	17	4	71.9
16	6	69	17	6	72.4
16	8	69.5	17	8	72.9
16	10	69.9	17	10	73.4
16	12	70.5	17	12	73.9
16	14	70,9	17	14	74.4
LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
18	2	74.8	19	2	78.3
18	4	75.3	19	4	78.8
18	6	75.8	19	6	79.2
18	8	76.2	19	8	79.7
18	10	76.7	19	10	80.2
18	12	77.2	19	12	80.6
18	15	77.9	19	15	81.3
LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max	LEVEL	SHUTTLE	VO2 Max
20	2	81.8	21	2	85.2
20	4	82.2	21	4	85.6
20	6	82.6	21	6	86.1
20	8	83	21	8	86.5
20	10	83.5	21	10	86.9
20	12	83.9	21	12	87.4
20	14	84.3	21	14	87.8
20	16	84.8	21	16	88.2