Gacon test 45/15

Gacon is a two-mode test, i.e. a test that alternates a running mode (45 seconds) and a walking mode (15 seconds), hence the name 45/15. It is used to measure intermittent running ability and aerobic capacity. The goal of this test is to measure the maximum speed reached in the last stage completed by the subject, to take it as a reference speed for the design of intermittent training loads.

• Required Material: A flat quarter-mile oval track, marking cones to delimit the course of the circuit, a tape measure and a stopwatch. If the subjects’ heart rate (HR) must be measured, a heart rate monitor will be needed.

• Procedure: All participants must line up at the starting cone/mark (A) and run 125 meters in 45 seconds to reach cone 1. At that point, they are given 15 seconds to rest (they must continue walking). When they finish the 15 seconds walk, they repeat the run in the opposite direction back to the starting cone. For each repetition, the distance is increased by 6.25 meters while the run and rest times remain constant (45/15). The goal is to reach as many periods or stages as possible. When the subject cannot reach a mark (cone) after 45 seconds of running, the last stage he/she reached is taken as the result.

• Assessment: The number of stages the subject is able to cover in a single attempt is measured. Each stage is specified by a speed and its equivalence in distance covered in 45 seconds (8km/h = 100 meters).