Yo-Yo Test: Hardik Singh’s Revelation Sparks Debate Between Fitness of Cricketers and Hockey Players

Hardik Singh's statements that Indian hockey players are "scoring more" in the Yo-Yo Test routinely, even compared to cricketers, had been a surprise factor for many sports fans. Players in the game of hockey regularly exceed 23 on the Yo-Yo Test, he said and even the fittest cricketers like Virat Kohli stopped at about 17 to 18, Singh added. 

Not only that, the jaw dropped when Hardik claimed that the junior women's hockey team's Yo-Yo test scores are equal to that of Kohli's. This sparked questions. So what is this Yo-Yo Test, and why is everybody, especially cricketers, making so much hoo-hah about it along with the Hockey team?

The Yo-Yo Test: From Danish Soccer Fields to Indian Cricket Camps

The Yo-Yo Test isn't just a quirky name. In the early 1990s, Danish soccer physiologist Jens Bangsbo first introduced the 3200-meter test as a measure of fitness evolution. The term yo-yo originates from the way that a yo-yo is testing, back-and-forth.

The Bangsbo test replicated the activity pattern of soccer. This includes short bursts of high-intensity activity interspersed with brief recovery periods. And thus, it became soccer-friendly within days. It then quickly spread amongst athletes from sports such as basketball, tennis, and even handball. All these games require sprints followed by short rest periods.

Read Also: Top 6 male fittest players in the world 

It was a breakthrough test. It includes moving from the previous steady aerobic fitness tests like the 12-minute run that did not reflect the stop-start nature of these sports. This Test just replicated the realities—having to accelerate and stop quickly or run hard for a short period followed by an intense recovery.

The Indian Cricket Connection: Enters Shankar Basu

The Yo-Yo Test gained popularity in European soccer. Later, it emigrated to the courts of other team sports. The Indian Cricket team took a long time.

In 2017, thanks to the strength and conditioning coach Shankar Basu, who implemented the Yo-Yo test as the ultimate bar to ensure fitness. The aim was to guarantee players could cope with the demands of modern cricket. The test was the right fit for it, as cricket these days demands explosive sprints between the wickets and rapid fielding movements.

As a result, the test became a requirement for selection into the Indian cricket team. Players had to achieve a minimum score of 16.1. Only those who met this standard were deemed fit for national duty. Suresh Raina, failing to reach the mark in 2017, was left out of the team. Virat Kohli, known for his dedication to fitness, achieved a remarkable score of 17.2 in 2023.

However, Hardik Singh pointed out that this score would barely make a dent in the hockey world.

Cricket vs Hockey: Why the Yo-Yo Test Favors Hockey Players

So, why do hockey players like Hardik Singh say that their scores are far superior to those of cricketers? The nature of hockey requires players to maintain a high level of intensity throughout the game. However, cricket requires athletes to engage in short, intermittent sprints.

In hockey, players are in a constant transition between offence and defence. They are continuously racing up and down the field and quickly recovering. Hockey is a sport that doesn't ensure ball possession to a particular player but demands him/her to be in action throughout.

This type of movement closely resembles and suits the test. Thus it rightly explains why athletes from more physically demanding sports like hockey can achieve impressive Yo-Yo Test scores, sometimes reaching as high as 23. 

Hardik’s teammate, PR Sreejesh, the experienced goalkeeper, managed to score an impressive 21 on the test. Funny enough, this guy needs to just move and dive within the 20-meter mark and nothing else!

Read Also: Hockey India decides to retire jersey No. 16 in honour of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh

How does the Yo-Yo Test Work?

The test requires athletes to run back and forth between two cones that are 20 meters apart. It may sound easy, but it’s not. Athletes need to reach the cone before the beep. And as they progress through each level, the beeps come more quickly.

This means they have to run faster and faster. After each sprint, they get a brief recovery period of 5 to 10 seconds before the next sprint begins. The test starts at a relatively slow pace, but soon athletes find themselves sprinting at full speed, struggling to catch their breath as the pace becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.

The test concludes when an athlete can no longer reach the cone before the beep. Their score reflects how many levels and shuttles (round trips) they can complete before they have to stop.

Aerobic and Anaerobic Fitness

The Yo-Yo Test is necessary due to its ability to assess both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Aerobic fitness deals with how effectively the body is utilizing oxygen over extended periods. Anaerobic fitness, on the other hand, focuses on your performance during short, intense efforts when oxygen isn't readily available. 

In sports such as hockey, soccer, and basketball, athletes rely on both types of fitness to maintain high performance throughout the game. However, cricket involves a short and sudden burst of intense activity. It may be a dive at the slip, a one-handed catch, or diving to save the wicket. This is the reason cricket limits itself to the basic level of the test.

The Four Versions of the Test

The test, however, is not limited to just one type. There are four different types of this test, designed for different levels of fitness. Here, the types are mentioned.

1. Recovery Level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1): This is the most common version, focusing on an athlete’s aerobic endurance.
2. Recovery Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2): A tougher version of IR1, focusing more on anaerobic recovery.
3. Endurance Level 1 (Yo-Yo IE1): This version is used for sports that require lower intensity over a longer period.
4. Endurance Level 2 (Yo-Yo IE2): A more intense version of IE1 for athletes who need to perform at a high level for an extended time.
   

The cricketers use the Yo-Yo IR1 test. However, the Hockey players juggle between IR1 and the tougher version, IR2.

Beyond Fitness

This test is not just a medium to gain fitness. This ensures better stamina with better healing capabilities.

Apparently, it sounds like this enhances the on-field performances. But it has underlying positives. It helps the athletes to improve not just their stamina but also their ability to recover quickly between bursts of activity. As Hardik Singh mentions, hockey players must preserve peak fitness levels because their sport demands constant movement, high stamina, and swift bursts of speed.

Read Also: India at Olympics: Every member of the medal-winning hockey teams

The Final Whistle

A score that looks like a number has a huge amount of resilience and grip underneath it. Every time it feels like running out of breath, it seems like a continuous duel between the mind and the body. The mind pushes an exhausted body to be a better one.

Cricket, even though it is the most popular sport so far, doesn't need continuous body movements, unlike Hockey. Undoubtedly, the second one deserves more physical activities.

When it looks like a "choice" for sports like cricket, it's a necessity for fast-paced games like hockey! 

In the end, it's just a question asked to the fans out there: is it high time to not use the term "fittest athlete" for someone for just being popular?

Nevertheless, with a fanbase that ignores the Olympic bronze medalist and puts more emphasis on a mere influencer who has as few contributions, one can't expect more!