Sports Assessment of Elite Athletes
Application of Fitness Assessment in Sport
Recognize that you are not the coach
Understand your role as an assessor rather than a coach.
Convince coach and/or team officials of importance of fitness testing
Highlight benefits and necessity of fitness assessments.
Determine the fitness components and how to evaluate them:
Identify key fitness components required for the sport.
Construct appropriate battery of tests
Develop a series of tests to evaluate the fitness components.
Recognize practical limitations:
Assess constraints in conducting fitness tests (e.g., facilities, equipment, time).
Interpretation and Feedback of Results
Provide meaningful insights from test results to athletes and coaching staff.
Why Test Athletes?
Establish normative standards
Create benchmarks for athlete performance comparison.
Determine strengths and limitations
Identify areas of improvement for athletes.
Monitor development and training responses
Track athlete progress over time with repeated testing.
Provide information about health status
Utilize fitness data to assess overall health of athletes.
Provide athlete with greater body awareness
Enhance athletes' understanding of their physical capabilities.
Effective Testing
Relevance to sport
Ensure tests are applicable to specific sporting contexts.
Validity and reliability
Validity: Accuracy of the test in measuring what it claims to measure.
Reliability: Consistency of test results across repeated trials.
Sport specific
Tailored assessments to the unique demands of each sport.
Controlled administration
Execute tests under standard conditions to avoid contamination of results.
Repeated regularly
Schedule assessments consistently to track changes.
Performance interpretation
Analyze results in light of performance standards and expectations.
Application of Fitness Assessment in Sport
Determine the most important fitness components and how to evaluate them:
Lab Based vs Field Based Testing:
Lab Testing:
Controlled environment ensures higher reliability and validity.
Less susceptible to external variables.
Field Testing:
More accessible and less expensive.
Closely resembles real competition scenarios.
More suitable for large groups.
Test Considerations
Reliability
Repeatability of results across tests.
Account for inter-day variability: changes in performance on different days.
Distinguish between inter-observer (different assessors) and intra-observer (same assessor) error.
Validity
Measure the accuracy of a test versus the true value of the attribute being assessed.
Testing Protocols in Soccer
Sport Characteristics to Assess:
Headers, Changes in Direction, Sprints of 2-3 seconds:
Assess skill-related fitness (e.g., speed, agility).
High Intensity Runs:
100-200 high-intensity sprints; estimate total distance covered (10-12k).
Matched Testable Skills:
Check abilities like jump height (Vertical Jump), agility (e.g., T-Test), and aerobic fitness (VO2max estimates).
Time Motion Analyses
Understanding movement patterns during competition
Analyze movements using tools like EMG and motion capture.
Physiological Assessment During Competition and in the Lab
Techniques and technologies used
Employ methods like ergospirometry to assess metabolic responses during competition.
Technology in Exercise Science
Examples of Wearable Tech:
Triaxial Accelerometers/Pedometers
Heart Rate Monitors
Fitness Trackers/Smartwatches
Respiration Monitoring
GPS Devices
eTextiles
Needs Analysis for Soccer and Rowing
Objectives included:
Develop specific testing protocols.
Provide an overview of performance characteristics specific to both sports.
Soccer Overview
Global Participation:
Most popular sport with around 265 million players worldwide.
Canada specific statistics:
~7,000 clubs, 55,000 teams, ~850,000 players (490,000 men, 360,000 women).
Characteristics of Elite Players
Age Ranges:
20-25 years for players' peak performance.
Physical Metrics:
Height:
Male: 1.8-1.9 m
Female: 1.6-1.7 m
Weight:
Male: 75-80 kg
Female: 60-65 kg
Body Fat Percentage:
Female: ~20%
Male: ~10%
VO2 max:
Female: 50-55 ml/min/kg
Male: 60-70 ml/min/kg
Match Analysis-Activity Patterns
Aerobic and Anaerobic Contributions:
Aerobic work constitutes 70-80% of activity (standing, walking, jogging).
Anaerobic contributions significant for sprinting and rapid direction changes.
Notably, most movements occur without the ball.
Match Analysis Summary
Distances and Speed:
Total distance covered: 10 km for both elite men and women.
High-intensity speed ranging from 18-25 kph for women and 20-25 kph for men.
Sprints: 26 to 30 high-intensity runs during a match.
Testing Protocols for Fitness
Assess sport characteristics—especially for headers, changes in direction, sprints, jump biomechanics, agility, and repeated sprint ability.
Countermovement Jump Analysis
Comparison by Gender and Level:
Women: Elite: 45-52 cm, Sub-elite: 40-45 cm, Youth: 35-40 cm.
Men: Elite: 45-55 cm, Sub-elite: 35-45 cm, Youth: 30-35 cm.
Linear Sprinting Assessment
Times for Different Distances:
Elite:
10m: 2.0 s, 20m: 3.2 - 3.4 s, 35m: 5.3 s.
Sub-elite:
10m: 2.0 s, 20m: 3.3 s, 35m: 5.4 s.
Youth:
10m: 2.1 s, 20m: 3.5 - 3.6 s, 35m: 5.7 s.
Repeated Sprint Ability Testing
Common Protocols:
10-12 sprints of 20m with 10 sec rest intervals.
15-20 sprints of 35m with 30 sec cycles.
Measure outcomes like average times, total time, and fatigue index.
Agility Testing
Definition:
The ability to rapidly change directions.
Common Tests:
Pro-agility, 20 m shuttle run, Illinois Test, Balsom Test.
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Testing
Distance Covered by Class Levels:
Top class: Women: 1600m (stage 40), Men: 2420m (stage 60).
Elite: Women: 1360m (stage 34), Men: 2190m (stage 55).
Sub-elite: Women: 1160m (stage 29), Men: 2030m (stage 51).
Outcomes & Interpretation
Performance Overview:
Compare individual performance against team averages to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Rowing Overview
Types of Rowing Events:
Single sculls (1x), Double sculls (2x), Coxless pairs (2-), Quad sculls (4x), Coxless fours (4-), Eights (8+).
Rowing Cycle Phases
Four Phases of the Stroke:
Catch: Oar placed in the water.
Drive: Legs extend while arms flex.
Finish: Oar comes out of water.
Recovery: Arms extend as legs flex (source on rowing technique).
Rowing 2K Race Analysis
Normalized Mean Velocity Data:
Performance comparison between women's grand winners across respective distances: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 500m.
Characteristics of Elite Rowers
Age: 25-27 years optimal for performance.
Physical Metrics:
Height: 193-201 cm
Weight: 95-103 kg
Body Fat Percentage: Sub-elite 15-20%.
VO2 max: 55.0-56.5.
Anthropometric Data for Rowers
Specific measurement data for various categories (Jr/Sr/Men/Women) including age, body mass, stature, and arm span.
Row to the Podium - Talent Identification Testing Protocol
Key Measurements:
Height, Wingspan, Reverse Ball Throw, Endurance Step Test (using Schwinn Arm Leg Bike).
Rowing Talent Standards
Benchmarks on Weight, Height, and Endurance measurements for different athlete categories (e.g. Junior Men, Women, etc.):
Include both targeted and minimum criteria for various tests and physical attributes.
RADAR – National Development System - Ergometer Assessments
Standardized Tested Metrics:
Anthropometry, Peak Power (10 stroke test), Anaerobic Power (60 second), Approximate VO2max (2K), Anaerobic Threshold (6K), Aerobic Capacity (60 minutes).
Summary of Findings
Soccer Testing Focus:
Field-based testing for aerobic (10-12K) and anaerobic abilities (100+ events during 90 minutes), with emphasis on minimal anthropometric importance.
Rowing Testing Focus:
Laboratory-based testing for endurance (2K) and anaerobic ability (start and finish), emphasizing anthropometry as critical.