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Notes on Fitness Components, Testing, and FMS (no single-source title)

Health-Related Components of Fitness

  • Five health-related components of fitness:
    • Cardiovascular endurance
    • Body composition
    • Muscular strength
    • Muscular endurance
    • Flexibility
  • These components are beneficial for testing athletes, but the direct link to sport depends on the sport (e.g., powerlifting vs. tennis).

Skill-Related Components of Fitness

  • Six skill-related components of fitness:
    • Agility
    • Balance
    • Speed
    • Coordination
    • Power
    • Reaction time
  • These are sport-specific: consider how each applies to a given sport and whether there is a meaningful overlap.

Testing and Specificity in Strength & Conditioning

  • The two core coaching goals to improve performance and decrease injury risk:
    • If a test does not contribute to these goals, there is no need to measure it.
  • Specificity principle: assess things that translate to the athlete’s sport and movement patterns.
  • Example narrative:
    • A strength coach showing a rise in a general lift (e.g., bench press) may not translate to basketball performance (which relies more on agility, vertical jump, and game-specific movements).
    • Prefer sport-relevant metrics (e.g., agility drills, sprint speed, vertical, reaction time).
  • Personal anecdote emphasizing specificity and alignment with sport demands.
  • Local muscular endurance test focus:
    • Core muscular endurance is a common baseline test (anatomical core).
    • Beyond the core, muscular endurance testing is typically targeted to sport-relevant areas.

Energy Systems and Related Tests

  • Energy systems and their representative tests:
    • Anaerobic endurance (glycolysis-driven): tests that last under ~2 minutes; typical duration is ~30–60 seconds; if a test lasts longer than ~2 minutes, it begins to resemble an aerobic test. The anaerobic systems include:
    • Glycolysis (anaerobic glycolytic system)
    • Creatine phosphate ( phosphagen) system
    • Aerobic capacity (aerobic system): tests lasting longer than ~2 minutes; used for endurance needs.
  • Wingate test (cycling):
    • 30 seconds of all-out effort on a cycle ergometer; very demanding and often triggers a strong pH shift due to hydrogen ion accumulation.
    • Not highly sport-specific for most team sports; the mode (cycle) may not reflect running or field movements.
  • 300-yard shuttle: a common test for team sports with stop-and-go action (e.g., basketball):
    • Protocol described as 25 yards out and back, 6 times, total of 300 yards: 300 ext{ yards} = 6 imes (25 imes 2) = 300 ext{ yd}
    • Mimics basketball’s up-and-down, with frequent short rests and accelerations.
  • Ballpark for applicability:
    • Wingate is more specific to cycling and may not map well to most team sports.
    • The 300-yard shuttle better reflects basketball’s stop-and-go demands and is more sport-relevant for that context.
  • Aerobic tests discuss applicability by sport and position:
    • Soccer example: midfielders cover large distances (often > 7 ext{ miles} per match), so aerobic capacity is important for those roles; goalkeepers typically have lower running demands.
    • Basketball context: consider pacing and transition demands; the pacer test can be used to reflect repeated shuttling in a basketball game.
  • Test selection principle:
    • Choose tests that mimic the sport’s demands and the athlete’s position.
  • Equipment discussion (testing reliability vs. sport specificity):
    • Aerodyne bike and wind bike provide alternatives that recruit more muscle groups (upper and lower body) and may better simulate total-body work, but standardization and normative data for these devices are less established than traditional protocols.
    • The balance between reliability (standardized protocols) and sport specificity should guide test selection.

Aerobic Capacity vs. Anaerobic Capacity Tests in Practice

  • Aerobic capacity considerations:
    • Not required for all sport teams; prioritize positions and match demands.
    • Paced tests (e.g., pacer test) can reflect repetitive aerobic effort with turns and changes of direction.
  • Sport-specific considerations:
    • Cross-country: a pacer test may be less representative than longer, continuous endurance tests; the ability to turn and change direction may be less relevant to distance-per-segment running in cross-country.
    • Soccer: midfielders benefit from high aerobic capacity; 7+ miles sometimes cited as typical distance per match.
  • Practical takeaway:
    • Use aerobic tests that align with sport’s movement patterns (turns, stops, direction changes, and sustained running) to maximize predictive value for performance.

Functional Movement Screening (FMS)

  • What is FMS?
    • A movement analysis system designed to assess fundamental movement patterns and identify movement dysfunctions.
  • Relationship to fitness components:
    • Incorporates health-related components (e.g., balance, flexibility) and can influence mobility, stability, and overall movement quality.
    • Movement quality affects the ability to load resistance training safely and effectively.
  • Why FMS matters for all clients:
    • Even non-athletes benefit from movement screening to reduce injury risk and ensure safe progression in exercise programs.
  • The three-tier framework of movement:
    • Mobility (two tests)
    • Stability (two tests)
    • Dynamic movement (three tests)
  • Learning and overlap:
    • The seven movements overlap: a deficiency in one hip mobility test may imply potential deficiencies in stability and dynamic movement tests.
  • The learning model behind movement:
    • Mobility, stability, and dynamic movement are learned hierarchically through development and practice.
  • Use in practice:
    • FMS is used to guide corrective exercise and movement optimization, not just to assign a numeric score.

Mobility, Stability, and Dynamic Movement

  • Three levels of movement:
    • Mobility: active range of motion; ability to move a joint through its available ROM.
    • Stability: ability to maintain a joint position under load or perturbation; relies on neuromuscular control and strength.
    • Dynamic movement: coordinated, high-level movements that integrate mobility and stability under functional tasks.
  • Hierarchy and interdependence:
    • Proper mobility is prerequisite for stability;
    • Proper mobility and stability are prerequisites for dynamic movement and motor control.
  • Practical implications:
    • Deficiencies in mobility often drive compensations and increased injury risk when loaded.
    • Corrective strategies focus on restoring mobility first, then stability, then dynamic control.

Mobility vs Flexibility

  • Definitions:
    • Mobility: active range of motion; what you can achieve with voluntary movement.
    • Flexibility: passive range of motion; how far a limb can move when external force is applied.
  • Influences on mobility/flexibility:
    • Nervous system, connective tissue, ligaments, and tissue length can limit ROM; neuromuscular tension can also limit movement.
  • Practical takeaway:
    • Mobility involves control and active activation; flexibility is about tissue length but does not guarantee function or motor control.

Proprioception and Proprioceptors

  • Feedback systems for knowing where the body is in space:
    • Proprioception (peripheral sensors in muscles and tendons)
    • Visual system
    • Vestibular system (inner ear)
  • Proprioceptor groups:
    • Joint kinesthetic receptors (in joints): provide information about joint position, pressure, and pain; influence awareness of joint angles, but can be compromised after joint injuries (e.g., ACL tear).
    • Golgi tendon organs (GTOs): detect muscle-tendon tension; reflexively cause muscle relaxation when tension is excessive (protective mechanism).
    • Muscle spindles: detect muscle length and rate of change; trigger muscle contraction to resist stretch (protective mechanism).
  • Practical significance for training and corrective exercise:
    • Proprioceptive input and proper functioning of GTOs and muscle spindles are crucial for safe movement and for designing corrective strategies.

Joint-by-Joint Theory and Kinetic Chain Considerations

  • Concept:
    • Mike Boyle’s joint-by-joint theory (regional interdependence model in PT terms) posits alternating mobile and stable joints along the kinetic chain and the need for a balance between mobility and stability.
  • Example of mobile vs stable joints:
    • Ankle: mobile joint (e.g., dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, eversion)
    • Knee: stable joint (primarily flexion/extension)
    • Hip: mobile joint (multiple degrees of freedom: abduction/adduction, flexion/extension, rotation)
  • Interdependence along the kinetic chain:
    • Two mobile joints surround a stable joint; if the stable joint lacks mobility, the mobile joints compensate; vice versa if mobility is lacking in surrounding joints.
  • Why it matters for injuries:
    • A brace or immobilization can reduce mobility at a joint, increasing demand and injury risk on adjacent joints (e.g., ankle brace increasing knee load and potentially ACL injuries).
    • Prior injuries alter movement patterns and increase risk for future injuries; e.g., a past ankle sprain raises ACL injury risk in some cases.
  • Relevance to movement screening and training:
    • Understanding joint-by-joint dynamics helps in designing corrective programs and interpreting FMS results.

Movement Learning Progression and Practical Takeaways

  • Movement learning sequence from infancy:
    • Supine mobility (unloaded mobility of shoulders and hips)
    • Prone development and loading (first loaded movements around shoulders)
    • Deep core stabilization (diaphragm and transverse abdominis)
    • Outer core stabilization (rectus abdominis, external obliques)
    • Dynamic movement (crawling, standing, walking, then squatting)
  • Why play-based and exploratory movement matters:
    • Healthy movement environments promote motor learning and robust movement patterns; restricting exploration (e.g., certain devices) can hinder natural development and lead to compensations (e.g., valgus collapse, heels lifting, rounded back).
  • Implications for training and injury risk:
    • If movement is compensated due to mobility or stability deficits, loading can raise injury risk; thus, assess mobility, stability, and dynamic movement before prescribing resistance training.
  • Summary principle:
    • Always consider sport and position when selecting tests and movement assessments.
    • Use FMS, core endurance tests, and movement quality assessments as foundational screens for all clients.
    • Prioritize mobility and stabilization work foundationally, then advance to dynamic movement and sport-specific patterns.

Quick Connections to Real-World Practice

  • Two core aims for any strength and conditioning program:
    • Improve sport-specific performance
    • Decrease risk of injury
  • Specificity matters: tailor tests and training to the athlete’s sport and position for meaningful and actionable results.
  • Movement quality as a baseline for progression: if movement is poor, corrective work is essential before heavy loading.
  • Use of FMS and core/endurance screens as routine practice for all clients, not just athletes, to guide programming and reduce injury risk.

Notable Numerical or Temporal References (LaTeX-friendly)

  • Test durations and cutoffs:
    • Anaerobic capacity tests typically last under 2\ \text{minutes}; tests longer than 2\ \text{minutes} often shift toward aerobic energy system assessment.
    • Wingate test: 30\ \text{s} all-out cycling sprint.
  • Specific test distances:
    • 300-yard shuttle: total distance 300\ \text{yards} = 6\times(25\ \text{yd})\times 2 (25 yd out and back, 6 repeats).
  • Soccer-mileage reference:
    • Midfielders may run over 7\ \,\text{miles} per match.

Key Takeaway

  • The most effective testing and training approach aligns with the athlete’s sport demands and position, emphasizes movement quality (via FMS and mobility/stability work), and uses energy-system-specific tests that reflect game-like scenarios to guide training and injury prevention.