Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test: protocol, values and practical applications

The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test is one of the most widely used field tests for assessing aerobic capacity in team sports. Developed by Danish physiologist Jens Bangsbo, it's especially well-suited to sports with intermittent efforts such as soccer, basketball, handball, or tennis.

What does the Yo-Yo test measure?

Unlike the Beep Test (Course Navette), which assesses continuous progressive aerobic endurance, the Yo-Yo test includes active recovery breaks between running bouts, making it more representative of the physiology of team sports.

There are two versions:

• Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1): for general populations and amateur athletes. Assesses the ability to perform prolonged aerobic exercise with recovery periods.
• Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2): for high-level athletes. Higher starting speeds, greater demand.

Test protocol

Equipment needed

• The official test audio recording (beep signal)
• A tape measure or cones to mark the 20 meters plus a 5-meter recovery zone
• A flat, non-slip surface

Procedure

1. The athlete runs 2 × 20 meters in time with the audio signal
2. They get 10 seconds of active recovery walking between each pair of runs
3. Speed increases progressively according to the audio levels
4. The test ends when the athlete fails to keep pace on two consecutive occasions

Result

The result is the total distance covered in meters. From this, VO2max can be estimated. VO2max estimation (Yo-Yo IR1): VO2max (ml/kg/min) = distance (m) × 0.0084 + 36.4 VO2max estimation (Yo-Yo IR2): VO2max (ml/kg/min) = distance (m) × 0.0136 + 45.3

Reference values for Yo-Yo IR1

Adult male soccer

Level	Distance (m)
International elite	> 2400
National	2000-2400
Upper regional	1600-2000
Regional	1000-1600
Recreational	< 1000

Adult female soccer

Level	Distance (m)
Elite	> 1600
National	1200-1600
Regional	800-1200
Recreational	< 800

General adult population (fitness)

Level	Men (m)	Women (m)
Very high	> 1400	> 900
High	1000-1400	700-900
Medium	700-1000	450-700
Low	400-700	250-450
Very low	< 400	< 250

Comparison with other endurance tests

Test	Type of effort	Equipment	Best for
Beep Test (Course Navette)	Continuous progressive	None	General fitness
Yo-Yo IR1	Intermittent with recovery	None	Team sports
Yo-Yo IR2	High-intensity intermittent	None	Elite athletes
Cooper Test	Continuous 12 min	Measured track	General aerobic endurance
Direct VO2max	Maximal incremental	Ergospirometry	Lab / research

Practical application: when to use the Yo-Yo test?

In team sports

The Yo-Yo IR1 is ideal for:

• Pre-season assessment: establishing a group baseline
• Monitoring fitness throughout the season
• Return after injury: an objective criterion before rejoining the group

In personal training

For clients who play amateur team sports, or to assess aerobic fitness in an ecologically valid way (more fun and motivating than a treadmill).

In sports centers

Very useful for group classes or collective assessments. It can be done with several athletes simultaneously on the same track.

Limitations of the test

• Requires a minimum surface of 25-30 meters in length
• Not suitable outdoors in strong wind or on uneven surfaces
• The athlete's motivation significantly influences the result
• It's not the best test for estimating VO2max in distance runners (for them, the Cooper test or treadmill ergospirometry is more valid)

How to record and track progress

In a periodic assessment (every 6-8 weeks), the most relevant data point is the athlete's own progression, rather than comparison with normative values.

Movalytics lets you record the Yo-Yo result (distance in meters) along with the estimated VO2max, visualize progress over time, and compare athletes within the same group or team.

Conclusion

The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test is a valuable tool, especially for coaches working with team-sport athletes. Its main advantage over other tests is that it better replicates the intermittent nature of effort in most team sports.

If you don't already include it in your assessment battery, consider adding it for the next preseason.