Reference values for running sprint field tests in preschool children: A population-based study

The purpose of this study was to determine reference values in the 20 m sprint test for Spanish preschool children and to examine the influence of age, sex and anthropometrics characteristics in sprint performance. A cross-sectional study was used. A total of 3076 children, aged 3 to 6 years, participated in this study (1539 girls and 1537 boys). To measure running speed, the 20 m sprint test was used. In the analysis of reliability, using test-retest with 89 children (48% boys), the following descriptive results were obtained (mean, SD): at pretest = 5.72 ± 0.98 s, at retest = 5.71 ± 0.87 s (p = 0.819), and an intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.929 (95% confidence interval 0.891-0.954). Boys are faster than girls at 3 to 5 years old, but no significant differences were found at 6 years old. In relation to age, the sprint time was shorter as kids got older. This study provides reference values for running speed assessment through a 20 m sprint test carried out on a large sample of Spanish preschoolers.