lecture 4 fitness examination & field testing

8/2/2019 Lecture 4 Fitness Examination & Field Testing

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Module 515536: Exercise and Sports Science

Fitness Examination andField Testing

K. M. Sheehy

Senior Lecturer

AUT University 2007

Acknowledgement

Images used in this presentation have been

taken from the following text:

Bishop, B. & Hume, P. (2000).Guidelines forathletic assessment in New Zealand sport. Sportand Exercise Science New Zealand.

AUT University is eternally grateful to Sport

and Exercise Science New Zealand for theuse of these images.

Learning Outcomes

Principles of testing

Understand the role of testing in strength andconditioning programmes

Discuss the principles for selecting,administrating, terminating and interpretingappropriate test procedures

Demonstrate the integration of testing into theoverall training programme and ensuringreliability, accuracy and validity in testingprocedures and results

Select test protocols that are appropriate to aparticular sport


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Introduction Objectives of testing:

To provide an objective profile of an athletes musculoskeletal fitness to engagein a sporting activity with minimum risk & injury, in addition maximummusculoskeletal performance.

Negative information that provides or modifies performance must be considered:i.e. Disease, flu or unsolved injuries that continually cause niggles.

Information is needed about physical deficiencies in strength, flexibility orendurance that may predispose an athlete to injury.

Correction of these deficiencies will decrease the risks & provide the optimummusculoskeletal base for athlete performance.

A reproducible record for sequent examinations, whether for the next season orafter injury is needed.

To use the deviations from optimal levels: i.e. The various aspects of athletefitness to construct a sports specific programme to normalise any deficienciesdiscovered in the examination & testing.

Contents

What is a Fitness Test?

Why Perform Fitness Testing?

When Do We Perform Fitness Testing?

Field versus Laboratory

Selecting Appropriate Tests

Testing Sequence

Normative data

Principles of Fitness Testing Evaluation / Statistics

What is a Fitness Test A test designed to access the current state of a

specific component of physical fitness

Tests should be specific i.e. they should isolate a singlecomponent of fitness

Tests should be valid & reliable reproduce resultsconsistently

Tests should be sensitive: i.e.. It should be accurate enoughto detect change in fitness

Tests should be objective - they should measure something


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Why Perform Fitness Testing? Strength & weaknesses (physical profiling)

Baseline data for exercise prescription

Feedback on athletes progress (improvement since last test)

Assess training effectiveness

Monitor health (overtraining)

Motivation to train

Establish normative data

Talent ID

Team / crew selection

When Do We Perform Fitness Tests?

Depends on your reason for performing the

testing.

To monitor fitness

Tests should be performed regularly

Rule of thumb - tests should be performed every 6 8 weeks

During important training phases

Testing can be performed more regularly

Too often

No time for change (can be demoralising)

Too infrequently

No feedback on progress (hard to access trainingeffectiveness)

When Do We Perform Fitness Tests?

Profiling athletes

Tests should be performed when athletes are at peak physical

fitness

Exercise prescription

Depends on the phase of the season, i.e. general preparation,competition or taper

Talent ID

Tests should be performed prior to team selection taking place

Time of year


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Disadvantages of Field

Testing Reliability / Validity

Sensitivity

Personal motivation

Environmental influences

Not sophisticated enough

Key Point -

Types of Tests

Submaximal Efforts Maximal Efforts Cadence Tests

Heart rate

response

Time trials Ability to maintain

a prescribed

cadence

Distance covered Distance covered Cumulative

scoring

Other

physiological

measures

Performance

decrements

Heart rate or

other measures

Selecting Appropriate Tests To access the capabilities of an individual, or group

of athletes The Relevance

Tests should be sport specific & mimic actual sportingmovement

Validity The tests must measure what they claim to measure

Reliability Tests must be consistent and reproducible

Acceptance The tests should have a sound scientific base & be accepted by

peers

Feasibility It must be possible to effectively complete the number of tests

within the selected protocol given the availability of time,resources & facilities


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Validity

An appropriate test should always measure what itclaims to measure - the test should bevalid.

Can be determined by close examination of its

content or by comparison with another acceptedmeasure of the same performance factor under

scrutiny.

Example: A test of aerobic capacity must be of sufficient length (in time)

to ensure that the aerobic energy system is the predominate contributor to

performance in that test.

Alternatively:A high correlation between a test that directly measures

aerobic capacity, such as the Shuttle Run test, & direct measurement of

VO2 max obtained using a graded exercise test to exhaustion on a

treadmill in a lab would establish the validity of the Shuttle Run as a

measure of running endurance.

The reliability of a quantitative measure is a criterionfor assessing its quality.

Reliability refers to the consistencywith which aninstrument measure this attribute.

An appropriate test should produce the sameresults on different testing occasions.

Testers have to be diligent in ensuring the factorswithin both the subjects & the testing arena are heldconstant from one testing session to the next.

To be reliable, the physical & psychological stateof the subject must be known & controlled .

The testing environment & protocols must berepeated exactly the same.

Reliability

Recommended Tests & Testing Sequence

Baseline testing should always be performed prior

to the initiation of any programme.

The testing is valuable not only for assessing the

athletes starting point

Also for helping to identify any obvious or latent

strengths & weaknesses the athletes may have.

The data gathered forms the nucleus around which

the training programme is designed.

Table 1 shows recommended tests & testing

sequence along with the rationale for the tests.


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Recommended Tests & Testing Sequence NZ Squash

Anthropometric Measures

1. Body composition

2. Standing Height

3. Weight

To evaluate lean body mass: goals are to decrease body fat and

increase lean body mass.

Aid in evaluation body composition and setting potential goals.

Flexibility

1. Sit & reach

To identify flexibility deficits & improvement in the hamstring &

lower back area.

Aerobic Capacity

1. 3 km run / or Multistage Shuttle run or

treadmill

To measure cardiovascular endurance.

To measure peripheral muscular endurance.

Repetitive Leg Power

1. Standing, 4 hops plus jump

To measure lower body power.

Localised Muscular Endurance

1. One minute sit-ups

2. One minute press-ups

To quantify abdominal endurance.

To quantify upper body endurance.

Speed & Agility

1. 20 meter sprint

2. T test * Both directions

To measure forward acceleration and speed.

To measure multiple direction & reactivity time.

The Tests above are only a sampling of the tests that

can be performed on a squash athlete

Of primary importance, is the reliability & validity of the test & its

administration.

Table 1

Testing Sequence

The order in which the battery is performed

should be carefully considered

To ensure that the physical demands of one test do

not compromise the results of subsequent

evaluations

Recovery intervals between tests should be

planned to ensure that the risk of injury to athletes

is kept to an absolute minimum

One day: speed, strength, power before aerobic

Two days: speed & aerobic day 1, strength, power onday 2

Tests

The following tests

contain some of the

most commonlyidentified physiological

parameters

Examples of bothlaboratory & field tests

used by conditioning

specialists when

assessing athletic

abilities


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Cardio-Respiratory Endurance These tests should

measure heart rate

response to exercise

Can only assess the

efficiency & capacity for

O2 extraction & utilisation

(VO2max), given the

ability of sophisticated

gas analysis equipment:

Exercise Tests

Maximal Direct Tests

Metabolic cart measuring expired air

Can use treadmill, cycle or swimming

Maximal Indirect Tests

Treadmill (walking or running), cycle, step tests

Submaximal (Indirect) Tests

Treadmill, cycle, step tests, rowing, swimming Also field tests such as distance runs/walks

Field Tests of CRE

Step Tests

Queens College

Astrand-Ryhming Harvard

Canadian Home Fitness Test

Treadmill Tests

Astrand & Rodahl

Balke

Bruce

Rockport Walking Test

Ventilatory & LactateThresholds

Distance Runs

20 m shuttle run

Coopers 12 min run 15 min run

3 km run

Ergometers

Astrand

PWC 170

Tri-level

Other Tests

12 min swim

PACER Test


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Anaerobic Endurance The athletes ability to sustain high intensity

activity is measured during this type of

assessment:

Tri-level (lactic power 30 secs)

Tri-level (alactic power 10 secs)

Shuttle run

Repeated speed tests (RHIET)

Phosphate decrement (10 x 40 m sprints per 30 sec 40 m jog recovery)

Muscular Strength

These tests can be used to highlight specific

strengths, weaknesses or imbalances &

relative improvements in response to training:

Isokinetic [Cybex, Kin Com, Biodex]

1-RM or 3-RM

Dynamometer

Kneeling overhead throw

Muscular Endurance

This type of test normally involves repetitive

movements designed to stress a particularmuscle group or group of muscles

Typically uses the athletes own body weight

as the major source of resistance:

Push ups

Sit ups

Pull ups (chins)

Dips

Prone bridge


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Power (Force x Velocity)Time

These tests are designed primarily to assessthe athletes ability to utilise energy &

strength to produce rapid & powerfulmovements: Vertical jumps, triple jumps, broad jumps

Margaria-Kalamen test

Wingate

Medicine ball throws

Bench press throws

Squat jumps

Speed (Displacement / Time)

Tests in this category are designed tomeasure the athletes ability to accelerate tomaximum velocity in the shortest possibletime frame

To be able to maintain the speed over apreset distance Stationary start 10 100m

Flying start 40 100m

Stride length

Stride frequency Throwing, kicking, serving velocity

Agility / Reaction Time / Balance

These tests reveal the athletes ability toperform a series of rapid movements in

opposing directions

T-test

5:0:5

Illinois agility run

Wobble board


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Body Composition kinantropometricassessment

Measurement of body fat and assessments of

lean body mass can be a guide to the

success of specifically designed weightloss/gain programmes

Hydrostatic weighing

Skinfolds

Body weight

Circumferences

Ultra sound

Flexibility Tests of range of motion at the various joints

recruited during the performance of particularsports specific activities can provide the coachwith an insight into muscle rigidity, lengthimbalance & injury susceptibility

Shoulder extension test

Sit & reach

Thomas test

The gastrocnemius test

The soleus test

Hamstring: active & passive

Video Analysis for Skill

Video analysis aims to provide feedback to coaches & athletes with agoal of increasing the desired performance.

The athletes technique can be studied usually at slow speed or frameby frame.

Qualitative (subjective assessment non numerical evaluation) &qualitative (measurement based provide kinematics & kinetics)feedback can provide a description of the movement in detail.

Two dimensional or three dimensional analysis can be chosendepending on the type of movement patterns.


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Normative Data Mens & Womens Aerobics Fitness Classifications

Principles of Fitness Testing

Testers

Environment

Order ofTests

Instructions

Group /

Individual

Validity &

Reliability of

Test Results

TestAdministration

Planning for the Testing Session

Planning

Know the test Pre-test planning

Develop directions

Prepare athletes

Plan warm-up & number of trials

Equipment & boundaries

Recording sheets

Time needed to administer the testing

Key Point -


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Administration of the Test

Success will be governed by preparation

Ensure medical consent forms have been read,

understood & signed where applicable

Ensure pre-screening questionnaire has beenread, understood, followed & completed

Provide for athlete privacy where necessary,i.e., during anthropometric testing

Administration of the Test Ensure the athlete is prepared & dressed for the

particular exercise

Prepare athletes on test day by following all pre-org

to ensure they are fully conversant with test

procedures

Motivate athletes: all athletes should be given thesame degree of motivation

Ensure safety during the entire session, be prepared

for the unexpected & remain alert

Test Termination indications for

Stopping a Test Key Points Onset of angina

Failure of HR to increase as intensity increases

Change to heart rhythm

SBP either 260 mmHg, drops 10 mmHg OR fails

to rise

DBP 115 mmHg

Severe fatigue, faintness, confusion, nausea, light-headedness, shortness of breath

Subject asks to stop

Failure of test equipment


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Post Test Procedure

Analyze test scores

Complete as soon as possible after the testing

Report as soon as possible after the testing period

Necessary modifications to individual / team

programmes

File test scores

Add to data bank / group norms

Evaluation / Statistics The analysis of data collected provides the results of

the testing.

These results need to be evaluated & interpretedwhich is often a challenging task.

The interpretation should take into consideration theaim of the testing, its theoretical underpinnings & theexisting body of related research knowledge & thelimitations of the adopted testing methods.

The interpretive task involves consideration of thefollowing aspects: The credibility & accuracy of results

The meaning of the results

The importance of the results The extent that the results can be generalised

The implications for practice, theory or research

Summary

Testing need not be time consuming & with the

availability of portable equipment can easily be donein the field.

To minimise disruption of training, reassessments

should be scheduled to coincide with low intensity,

low volume periods in the normal training cycle.

Testing may be used to motivate athletes, to this

end, test days should be scheduled as special

events.

This in no way precludes the use of test procedures

as regular training drills.


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Readings and Review Tasks

List the advantages of using field testing over

lab testing.

List the disadvantages of using field testing

over lab testing.

List 6 factors to consider when planning for a

testing session.

List 6 indications for stopping a test.

References Bishop, B. & Hume, P. (2000).Guidelines for athletic

assessment in New Zealand sport. Sport and ExerciseScience New Zealand.

Gibbins, D. (1993). Fitness testing and assessment ofthe athlete a review. Strength and ConditioningCoach, 1 (4), 22 23.

Sheehy, K. (1994). New Zealand squash highperformance programme testing and re-testing.Squash Institute of New Zealand, New ZealandSquash Inc.

Toomey, M. J. (1994). Field testing seminar: beam-breaker timing. School of Physical Education,University of Otago, Road Show.

Glossary

Specificity the test is designed to access an athletes fitnessfor the activity in question

Validity it tests what it purports to test

Reliability the test is capable of consistent repetition

Objectivity it can produce a consistent result irrespective ofthe tester

lecture 4 fitness examination & field testing

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