Yo-Yo Test: Complete Guide to IR1, IR2, Levels, Scoring & Results
- Pulses App Team
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
Quick Answer
The Yo-Yo Test is a family of shuttle-running fitness tests used to assess an athlete’s ability to perform repeated high-intensity exercise.
The most widely used versions are the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (IR1) and Level 2 (IR2). Athletes repeatedly run 20 metres out and 20 metres back, following progressively faster audio signals, with a 10-second active recovery after each 40-metre running bout.
IR1 starts at a lower speed and places a strong demand on the aerobic system. IR2 starts faster and places greater demands on an athlete’s ability to recover from repeated intense exercise, with a higher anaerobic contribution.
The main result is the total distance completed. To compare athletes or track progress over time, always use the same Yo-Yo Test version and similar testing conditions.
What Is the Yo-Yo Test?
The Yo-Yo Test was developed to evaluate fitness in sports where athletes repeatedly alternate between intense activity and short periods of recovery.
That makes it particularly relevant to intermittent sports such as football, rugby, basketball, hockey and other team sports.
Unlike a continuous running test, the most common Yo-Yo protocols include short recovery periods between runs. The athlete repeatedly accelerates, changes direction, recovers briefly and then goes again at an increasingly faster pace.
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Tests are designed to assess an athlete’s ability to repeatedly perform intense exercise, making them useful field tests for many stop-start sports.
The Six Yo-Yo Test Versions
There is not just one Yo-Yo Test.
The Yo-Yo Test family includes six main versions:
Test | Recovery between 40 m runs | Main focus |
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 1 – IR1 | 10 sec | Repeated high-intensity exercise and recovery |
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Level 2 – IR2 | 10 sec | More demanding repeated high-intensity exercise |
Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance Level 1 – IE1 | 5 sec | Intermittent endurance |
Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance Level 2 – IE2 | 5 sec | Higher-intensity intermittent endurance |
Yo-Yo Endurance Level 1 | No recovery | Progressive continuous shuttle running |
Yo-Yo Endurance Level 2 | No recovery | Faster progressive continuous shuttle running |
Level 2 versions start at a higher running speed and are more demanding than the corresponding Level 1 versions.
For team-sport testing, IR1 and IR2 are the versions most coaches are likely to encounter, so the rest of this guide focuses mainly on those two.
How the Yo-Yo IR1 Test Works
For the Yo-Yo IR1 Test, you need:
a 20-metre running area
a 5-metre recovery area
cones or clearly marked lines
the correct Yo-Yo IR1 pacing audio
The athlete completes:
20 m → turn → 20 m back → 10 seconds active recovery
During the recovery period, the athlete moves through the 5-metre recovery area before returning to the start for the next run.
The running speed progressively increases as the test continues. The athlete must reach the required line in time with the audio signals.
The test continues until the athlete stops or can no longer maintain the required pace according to the test protocol.
The total distance successfully completed is recorded as the primary result.
Yo-Yo IR1 vs IR2: What Is the Difference?
IR1 and IR2 use the same basic 2 × 20-metre running format and 10-second active recovery period, but they are not interchangeable.
Yo-Yo IR1 | Yo-Yo IR2 | |
Starting intensity | Lower | Higher |
Progression | Progressive | Progressive, but demanding earlier |
Main emphasis | Intermittent exercise with a strong aerobic demand | Recovery from repeated intense exercise with a greater anaerobic contribution |
Typical use | Broad range of trained athletes | More highly trained athletes |
Main result | Total distance | Total distance |
IR1 focuses strongly on the ability to perform intermittent exercise while placing high demands on the aerobic system.
IR2 starts at a higher intensity and places greater demands on the athlete’s ability to recover from repeated intense exercise with a higher anaerobic contribution.
It is therefore too simplistic to describe IR1 as an “aerobic test” and IR2 as an “anaerobic test”.
Both involve several energy systems.
How Do Yo-Yo Test Levels and Scoring Work?
Yo-Yo Test results can be described using:
the final level
the final shuttle
the number of completed shuttles
or the total distance completed
For practical comparison, total distance in metres is often the clearest result.
Each completed Intermittent Recovery running bout consists of 20 metres out and 20 metres back. Every successfully completed bout therefore adds 40 metres to the athlete’s total distance.
The pacing audio determines when the speed increases and how many runs are completed at each stage.
Example
If an athlete completes:
1,600 metres
the result can simply be recorded as:
Yo-Yo IR1: 1,600 m
When the athlete is tested again later in the season, use the same IR1 protocol and as similar testing conditions as possible.
What Is a Good Yo-Yo Test Result?
There is no single Yo-Yo Test score that is universally “good”.
Performance can vary substantially depending on:
which Yo-Yo version is used
sport
competition level
age
sex
training status
This is why generic tables that label a particular score as simply poor, average or excellent should be used carefully.
For coaches, a more useful approach is to compare:
athletes who completed the same test version
athletes from a relevant sport and competition level where suitable data is available
each athlete against their own previous results
For regular team testing, tracking changes in the same athlete under standardised conditions can often be more useful than comparing everyone with a universal norm.
Can the Yo-Yo Test Estimate VO₂max?
Yes. Yo-Yo Test performance can be used to calculate an estimated VO₂max, but this should not be confused with a direct laboratory measurement.
Published equations include:
Yo-Yo IR1
Estimated VO₂max = distance in metres × 0.0084 + 36.4
Yo-Yo IR2
Estimated VO₂max = distance in metres × 0.0136 + 45.3
The result is expressed in ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹.
These are estimates based on field-test performance. Yo-Yo Test performance is influenced by more than maximal oxygen uptake alone, including acceleration, turning, recovery and repeated high-intensity exercise.
For that reason, distance completed remains an important result, rather than reducing the entire test to an estimated VO₂max value.
What Does Heart Rate Add to a Yo-Yo Test?
The standard Yo-Yo Test result tells you what the athlete achieved.
Heart-rate data can add information about how the athlete responded during and after the test.
With heart-rate monitoring, coaches can review data such as:
maximum heart rate
heart rate during the final stages of the test
heart-rate response near exhaustion
heart-rate recovery after the test
Heart rate does not replace the test result. Instead, it adds another layer of information alongside total distance, level and repeated test performance.
This can be particularly useful when the same athletes are tested regularly throughout a season.
Which Yo-Yo Test Should You Use?
For many teams, Yo-Yo IR1 is the practical starting point.
It is widely researched and commonly used in team-sport environments. Its lower starting intensity also makes it suitable for a broader range of trained athletes.
Yo-Yo IR2 is a more demanding alternative for highly trained athletes when the aim is to evaluate repeated intense exercise and recovery at a higher starting intensity.
Whichever test you choose, consistency matters.
Use the same Yo-Yo Test version when comparing an athlete’s results over time.
An IR1 distance should not be directly compared with an IR2 distance because the protocols are different.
Yo-Yo Test or Beep Test?
The Yo-Yo Test and Beep Test are both progressive shuttle-running fitness tests, but they work differently.
The classic Beep Test is continuous. Athletes repeatedly run between two lines while the required speed gradually increases.
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test includes a 10-second active recovery period after each 40-metre running bout.
This work-and-recovery format makes the Yo-Yo IR tests particularly relevant to many intermittent team sports.
Running Yo-Yo Tests With a Team
Testing an entire squad manually means keeping track of pacing, levels, shuttles, warnings and individual results while also watching the athletes.
Pulses App handles much of that process for you.
With the built-in Yo-Yo Tests in Pulses App you can:
run tests with up to 40 athletes without heart-rate sensors
monitor up to 15 athletes with live heart rate
use built-in pacing and audio
automatically track levels and scoring
receive estimated VO₂max
record heart-rate recovery when sensors are used
generate individual and group PDF reports
The built-in Yo-Yo and Beep Tests are currently available on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
See Pulses App in Action
Watch how Pulses App runs a Yo-Yo Test with live heart rate, automatic scoring and results.
Try Pulses App free for 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Yo-Yo Test the same as the Beep Test?
No. The classic Beep Test is continuous, while Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Tests include a short active recovery period after each 40-metre running bout.
What is the difference between Yo-Yo IR1 and IR2?
Both use repeated 2 × 20-metre runs with 10 seconds of active recovery. IR2 starts at a higher intensity and places greater demands on repeated high-intensity performance and recovery.
How is a Yo-Yo Test scored?
The main performance result is the total distance successfully completed. Results can also be expressed using the final level and shuttle reached.
What is a good Yo-Yo Test score?
There is no universal good score. Results depend on the test version, age, sex, sport, training status and competition level. For regular testing, comparing an athlete with their own previous results using the same protocol is particularly useful.
Can the Yo-Yo Test estimate VO₂max?
Yes. Published equations can convert IR1 and IR2 distance into an estimated VO₂max. It remains a field-test estimate rather than a direct laboratory measurement.
Do I need a heart-rate monitor for the Yo-Yo Test?
No. Heart-rate monitoring is optional. The test can be completed and scored using distance and level alone. Adding compatible heart-rate sensors provides additional information such as maximum heart rate and post-test heart-rate recovery.
Key Takeaway
The Yo-Yo Test is not a single test but a family of progressive shuttle-running protocols.
For team sports, Yo-Yo IR1 and IR2 are the most established versions. IR1 is widely used to evaluate intermittent high-intensity fitness, while IR2 begins at a higher intensity and places greater demands on repeated intense exercise and recovery.
Whichever version you choose, record the exact protocol and total distance, keep testing conditions consistent and compare like with like.
For coaches testing an entire team, Pulses App automates the pacing, scoring and reporting so you can concentrate on the athletes.
Try Pulses App free for 30 days.
Sources and Further Reading
Bangsbo J, Iaia FM, Krustrup P. The Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test: a useful tool for evaluation of physical performance in intermittent sports. Sports Medicine. 2008;38(1):37–51.
The Yo-Yo Test. Yo-Yo Test Versions and Instructions on How to Conduct the Yo-Yo Test.
The published Yo-Yo IR1 and IR2 VO₂max equations are reported in the scientific literature reviewed by Bangsbo and colleagues.
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