DRAFT, 28-Oct-09 Comparison of 5- and 10-Hz GPS technology for team sport analysis

David B. Pyne, FACSM, Carl Petersen, Dean G. Higham, Matthew Cramer. Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, Australia. PURPOSE: To compare the reliability and validity of 5- and 10-Hz global positioning system (GPS) devices for quantifying distances of short sprints in team sport athletes. METHODS: Twenty repeat trials of maximal effort short sprints over 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-m intervals using a MinimaxX GPS device (Team Sport Version 4.0 10-Hz, Catapult, Melbourne, Australia) were evaluated against a criterion measure of electronic timing (Swift timing gates, Lismore, Australia; accurate to 0.01 s). Data were logtransformed before analysis to reduce the non-uniformity of error. Validity was quantified with the standard error of the estimate (SEE) and reliability estimated using typical error expressed as a coefficient of variation. These estimates were then compared with previously established values for a 5-Hz device (Team Sport Version 2.5) for 20-, 30- and 40-m intervals. RESULTS: The estimates of validity (standard error of the estimate 90% confidence limits) of the new 10-Hz device were: 10-m, 13.9 5.1%; 20-m, 8.8 3.2%; 30-m, 6.2 2.3%; and 40-m, 5.0 1.8%. The estimates of reliability (typical error 90% confidence limits) for the 10-Hz device were: 10-m, 11.7 3.6%; 20-m, 6.9 2.1%; 30-m, 4.7 1.4%; and 40-m, 3.8 1.1%. Comparable mean estimates for the older 5-Hz device for over 20-40 m intervals ranged from 14-24% for validity, and 16-30% for reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The reliability and validity of estimates for quantifying the distance covered in short sprints is markedly better using 10-Hz GPS technology.