The 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test Provides Superior Sport-Specific Sensitivity to Treadmill Testing in Elite Female Footballers

This study compares the acute aerobic, metabolic, and threshold-related physiological responses elicited by the 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT) and a treadmill-based incremental running test in elite female football players. Using a randomized crossover design, all participants completed both testing protocols with a 48-hour recovery period. Outcomes included maximal oxygen uptake, maximal running speed, heart rate responses, lactate-derived thresholds, metabolic tolerance indices, and recovery markers.