Fitness Tests

Why are Fitness Tests used?

To Identify strengths/weaknesses

Monitor Progress

Evaluate program effectiveness

Can increase motivation

Accurate measure of a component which is sport specific

Whats does the Reliability of a fitness test mean?

A test that can be consistently replicated.

What does the Validity of a fitness test mean?

The appropriate test for its intended aim.

Pros and Cons of Laboratory Tests?

A test is classified as a lab test when it can conly be performed within the confines of the laboratory.

• + High levels of control (controlled environment)

• + High Reliability

• + High Validity

• - Expensive

• - Time consuming

Pros and Cons of Field Tests?

• + Can test larger groups

• + Quick

• + Easy

• + Cheap

• - Less reliable (more open to error)

• - Weather conditions are variable

How would you carry out the Illinois Agility Test?

• Measure and place cones in correct place (10m length, 5m width, 4 cones evenly spaced down the middle)

• Assistant stand in-line with start and finish line

• Performer stands at the start line, assistant will say the “go“ command, start the stopwatch, and the performer will complete the course as fast as they can

• Stop the clock when performer crosses the finish line.

How would you carry out the (Hand Grip) Dynamometer test?

• Reset the dynamometer to 0

• Hold (straight arm) above head, squeeze and slowly move arm down to by your side, and relax

• Check the reading

How would you carry out the 30m sprint test?

• Measure 30m and place timing gates/cones

• Assistant stand in-line with finish line, says the “go” command, starts the stopwatch, performer starts moving

• Stopwatch is stopped as performer crosses the finish line.

How would you carry out the Vertical Jump test?

• Measure and mark (with chalk) highest standing reach on wall

• Jump as high as you can, mark it, measure distamce between marks.

How would you carry out the Sit and Reach test?

• Get sit and reach box, take shoes off

• Put box against wall, feet against box face, legs fully extended.

• Reach forward as far as you can and note the measurement you can reach on the box (reach and hold not using momentum to reach further)

How would you carry out the 12 Min Cooper Run test?

• Identify a measured area that you’re running around

• Go to the start

• On “go“ command, you start running, as the stopwatch is started

• After 12 mins, stop stopwatch, stop running, calculate distance run

• (Sub-maximal aerobic fitness, due to stopping because of time not because of failure)

How would you carry out the Repeated Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST)?

• 6 maximal sprints of 35 m with a 10 second rest/recovery in-between each sprint.​

• It should be completed on a reliable surface (e.g. indoors or on artificial sports pitch) to minimise the environmental variability and improve the reliability of the test.​

What are some sporting examples of when the RAST would be used?

Game sports (football, basketball, handball)

Repeated bursts of max effort followed by rest

+/- of RAST:

• + Minimal equipment needed

• + Simple to set up

• - Specific facilities required

• - Assistant needed

How would you carry out the Yo-Yo intermittent test?

• Runners start at start line (C), run towards the 20m (B) marker.​

• At, or before, the following beep, runners must reach the 20m (B) marker.​

• runners then have a 10-second active recovery of jogging to cone A and then back to cone B.​

• at or before the next beep/signal the runners must have made it from cone B to cone C.​

• Assistant keeps track of how many completed goes through.​

• (The runners get a warning on their first failure of completing B->C->B in time and then the next time the test is stopped.​)

What are some sporting examples of when the Yo Yo test would be used?

Game sports - constant changing from running/ jogging/ walking

+/- of Yo Yo Intermittent test:

• + Sport specific

• + Simple to set up

• + Large groups (teams)

• - Specialist equipment required

• - High fatigue/ stress

• - Requires good baseline fitness/ motivation

What does Gas Analysis test?

Submaximal - VO₂ max - measures oxygen and carbon dioxide in inhalation/ exhalation

Lab test - Aerobic Capacity

How would you carry out Gas Analysis?

• Warm up [depending on equipment (bike/ treadmill]

• Wear mask connected to a flow meter and gas analyser, then to a douglas bag (collects the air and measures VO₂ max)

• Perfomr continuous exercise (20-60 mins) → increasing intensity until exhaustion

• Assess CO₂ and O₂ levels in douglas bag

• Use the data collected to calculate the VO₂ max, graphed against intensity

+/- of Gas Analysis:

• + Accurate CO₂/O₂ consumption

• + Pinpoint the moment of lactate threshold

• + Accurately calculates exact mix of carbs and fats used as fuel

• - Expensive

• - Not sport specific/ large groups

• - Safety risks

What are some sporting examples where Gas Analysis might be used?

• Endurance athletes (marathon, cyclists)

• Understanding of how the athletes body uses energy during exercise (they can adapt their training accordingly)

What does 1 Repetition Max test?

Maximal output a muscle can exert against a resistance for one contraction.

Field based (gym)

Usually compound movements (bench press, deadlifts, squats) ← sport dependant

How would you carry out 1 Rep Max?

• You would need a competant spotter

• Warm up (cardio/aerobic and 30% of 1RM 8-10 reps)

• Then 60% of 1RM for 3-5 reps

• 4 sets going up in 10-15% increments until 85% - rests up to 5 mins inbetween sets

• 90% for 1 rep

• 3-5 min rest to allow ATP-PC system to fully replenish

• If successful, increase weight by 2.5-5kg and repeat with correct form until spotter has to intervene or form breaks down.

+/- of 1RM:

• + Calculate exact percentages for training

• + Easy to track

• + Accurate maximal strength

• - Increased risk → heavy load on joints

• - Hard to maintain form

• - Disrupts training programme (needs proper rest before + after)

What are some sporting examples of when 1RM would be used?

• Explosive power, maximal strength (power lifters, sprinters)

• Baseline for muscular strength, directly linked to power, speed, and force

How would you carry out the Harvard Step Test?

• 50 cm bench

• Performer stands infront of bench

• Assistant starts stopwatch (“go“)

• Step up and down every 2 seconds for 5 mins → (“stop“)

• 1 min after stopping, measure Heart Rate and repeat for 2nd, 3rd min

• Estimate fitness levels with 3 pulse rates [ 30000 ÷ (p1 + p2 + p3) ]

• Compare with normative data

What are some sporting examples of when the HS Test would be used?

Mid distance (1500m runner) short periods of aerobic fitness

+/- of Harvard Step Test:

• +Maximal aerobic fitness

• + High reliability (easily repeated)

• - Specific to very few sports

• HR recovery not highly valid

How would you carry out the Queen’s College Step Test?

• 41.3 cm bench

• Males (24 steps/min) Females (22/min) for 3 mins

• “go“ starts stopwatch, after 3 mins → stop

• Record HR for 15 secs

• Normative data, estimate VO₂ max

What are some sporting examples of when the Queen’s College Step Test would be used?

Triathlete - VO₂ max estimate - can shape training plan

+/- of Queen’s College Step Test:

• + Estimate VO₂ max

• + Minimal equipment

• - Performer could easily step out of time loosing reliability

• - Not sport specific

How would you carry out the Margaria Kalaman test?

• Start line 6m infront of of first step

• Mark every 3rd step up to the 9th step

• Measure vertical distance from 3rd to 9th step

• “go“ sprint to steps runs up 3 steps at a time (3rd,6th,9th), start stopwatch when step on 3rd step stops is on 9th step

• Power p =(M x D) x 9.8/t

What is a sporting example of when the Margaria Kalaman test would be used?

Basketball (sprints/ dunks)

+/- of Margaria Kalaman test:

• + Power → relative to many game sports

• - Decreased reliability → stopwatch could be started/stopped at the wrong time

How would you carry out the Multi- stage stage fitness test?

• Runners run towards 20m marker

• At, or before, following beep runners must reach 20m

• At or after, but not before, the same beep runners must run back

• At or before next beep runners must reach 0m marker

• At or before same beep repeat

• (1 warning if not completed in-time of beeps, then disqualified)

What does the Multi- stage Fitness test, test?

Aerobic capacity (VO₂ max)

What does the Wingate Test, test?

Peak power output / mean output

Where you stand on the fatigue index

General power + aerobic capacity

How would you carry out the Wingate Test?

• Light 5-10 pedalling warm-up

• 2-3 short bouts of hard pedalling throughout

• Bike to 7.5% body mass of subject

• Pedal maximally for 2/3 seconds with no resistance

• 7.5% resistance is applied for ~30 seconds for 4-6 bouts (power is measured every second)

• 20 seconds slow pedal cool down

+/- of the Wingate Test:

• + Minimal equipment

• + Simple to do

• + Lab Test → controlled → more reliable, valid

• + Useful for most sports

• - Specialist equipment needed

• - Assistant needed

What does the Cunningham and Faulkner Test, test?

Maximal anaerobic capacity (e.g. boxers, sprinters, wrestlers)

How would you carry out the Cunningham and Faulkner Test?

• 10-20 min warm-up

• Need treadmill + assistant

• 20° incline, 8mph

• Once at 8mph, “go“, start stopwatch, start running

• After you have to stop, compare results to chart (normative data)

+/- of Cunningham and Faulkner Test:

• + Simple to do

• + Minimal equipment

• + Results can be compared easily

• - Specific equipment needed

• - Not applicable to all athletes

What does the Maximum Accumulated Oxygen Deficit Test, test?

Anaerobic capacity → repeated high intensity (sprinters, swimmers)

What is the protocol for the Max Accumulated Oxygen Deficit Test?

• Place gas analysis mask over face

• Treadmill at 110-140% of VO₂ max (2-3 mins)

• Stop at failure, take mask off

• Use results to calculate deficit by subtracting actual accumulated oxygen uptake from theoretical accumulated oxygen demand

• Difference = energy supplied anaerobically

+/- of Max Accumulated Oxygen Deficit Test:

• + Directly targets anaerobic energy production instead of using blood lactate levels

• - Lots of equipment required

• - Time consuming

• - Highly exhausting to complete