How is a MAS test carried out?

The body produces energy mainly thanks to oxygen. The more you increase your body's capacity to consume oxygen, the more you increase your engine power. Other factors also need to be taken into account as an endurance and stride effectiveness indicator, but we can say that the more you increase your MAS, the more your average running speed will increase. This is therefore one of the cornerstones of running and sport training in general (soccer, rugby, swimming).

The MAS test is not aimed solely at those seeking to beat their best time in competition! Calculating your MAS is also very useful for staying fit and running more comfortably. Once your MAS test has been carried out, you can carry out MAS sessions, such as interval training, by adopting the right pace. These sessions can help you stay in shape as you age, working your muscles during a highly effective workout.
If you run regularly, carrying out a MAS test several times a year will allow you to identify your state of health objectively. The maximum aerobic speed will be your benchmark to monitor your progress, a sort of log for your running. In itself, the MAS test also constitutes a sustained training session, breaking up the monotony of your workouts!
If you are preparing for a 5k, 10k, half-marathon or marathon, conducting a MAS test will allow you to determine your pace in advance of race day. Knowing your MAS is therefore crucial for managing your effort and reaching your set distance goal.

An effort test in the lab is carried out on a treadmill and through a mask that measures the air inhaled and exhaled. This type of test provides your maximum oxygen consumption (the vVO2max referred to at the start of the article) which makes it possible to calculate your MAS. It also gives your maximum heart rate and thus enables you to detect any medical contraindications that would stop you from doing sport. It may be relevant if you are beginning or taking up running again after 40 years.

If lab tests enable measurement of your body's data during effort thanks to scientific measuring equipment, they fail to reproduce the real conditions of sport. Carrying out a MAS test in the field is therefore essential.
There are several types of field test. These are the two most often used owing to their reliability and ease of execution.

The Cooper test is the first MAS test to be introduced in the field, especially for soldiers. Nowadays, the duration has been cut in half to facilitate execution. This is why we talk of a 'half-Cooper'.
The half-Cooper test consists in running for the longest possible distance for a total of 6 minutes, at a constant speed. At the end of this test, the total distance covered is taken in km and then multiplied by 10.
For example: 1.35 km covered in 6 minutes = 1.35 x 10 = MAS of 13.5 km/h

Advice for the half-Cooper test:
- Remember to hydrate and eat a snack like a cereal or protein bar.
- Start with a 20-minute warm-up: 15 minutes of gentle jogging and 5 minutes at a slightly faster pace.
- Rest for 2 minutes, then begin the test.
During the test, the most important thing is to manage your efforts so you can maintain almost the same running pace throughout the test. In general, it is recommended you accelerate slowly as the test progresses, so you can give your maximum effort. Above all, do not set off too quickly!

You can divide the test into 3 phases: beginning - middle - end.
- beginning of the test: start at a fast speed while ensuring you have some strength in reserve.
- middle of the test: increase your pace a little.
- end of the test: pick up the pace and maintain that speed until the end of the test - now is the time to give it your all!

Calculation for 3 minutes of test:
Distance covered in km x 20 = MAS
Example: If you have covered 600 m in 3 minutes.
0.6 km x 20 = 12 km/h. Your MAS is 12 km/h.

Calculation for 4 minutes of test:
Distance covered in km x 15 = MAS
Example: If you have covered 900 m in 4 minutes.
0.9 km x 15 = 13.5 km/h. Your MAS is 13.5 km/h.

Calculation for 6 minutes of test:
Distance covered in km x 10 = MAS
Example: If you have covered 1,500 m in 6 minutes.
1.5 km x 10 = 15 km/h. Your MAS is 15 km/h.

Ideally, use an athletics track or a flat and open road for this test.

The main difficulty of the half-Cooper test is to predict your continuous speed before the test. This is why a second type of test has been introduced: 'Progressive' tests. These tests involve increasing your speed throughout the exercise, by intervals of 0.5 km/h. You can thus implement the optimal management of your effort naturally.
This test is often used by coaches and PE teachers because it is reliable and enables assessment of a whole group of runners at the same time. Usually, the VAMEVAL test is carried out on an athletics track and requires 20 cones set every 20 metres.
Nowadays, thanks to GPS technology and smartphone apps, you can carry out this test independently with a pair of earphones, your smartphone and a GPS watch, if you have one. Of course, as these are intensive exercises, it is always recommended that you carry out the test with someone else, who can help you, make a note of the key data and monitor your time.
Download the Decathlon Coach app to listen to the oral instructions of the test and monitor your speed in real time. If you have a GPS watch, monitoring your speed on your wrist is much easier. When you can no longer keep up with the pace, pause the app. The level that appears when you hit pause is your MAS.
You can go to an athletics stadium to ensure a good running surface and avoid being hampered by any obstacles during your test. If you do not have a stadium nearby, choose a flat and open road.

Benefit: Reliable, since it allows you to increase your speed gradually, thus naturally adopting the best possible management of your effort.
Prerequisite: You need a smartphone and Decathlon Coach app for the instructions + earphones. A GPS watch is a plus.
Of course, you should remember to hydrate and take the necessary quantities of water for hydration after effort and something to eat, like cereal bars or bananas.

Once an MAS test has been carried out in the field, you can estimate your average speed over 10k, 21k and 42k using the following formulae.

Calculation for predicting your speed over 10k = 90% MAS
Example: MAS of 12 km/h = 12 x 90% = 10.8 km/h average speed over 10k.
Or 5 mins 33 s per km.

Calculation to predict your speed over a half-marathon distance = 85% MAS
Example: MAS of 12 km/h = 12 x 85% = 10.2 km/h average speed over 21.1 km.
Or 5 mins 52 s per km

Calculation to predict your average speed for a marathon = 80% MAS
Example: MAS of 12 km/h = 12 x 80% = 9.6 km/h average speed over 42.2 km.
Or 6 mins 15 s per km.

These formulae provided you with an optimistic estimate of your time for race day. For example, during a 10k race, your running pace will be between 85% and 90% of your MAS. View all your times with the high and low prediction in our MAS pace table.
For your endurance jogging workouts, we recommend running at between 55% and 70% of your MAS.