Fitness Testing SPORTSsheet

Aims of the SPORTSsheet

The aims of this SPORTSsheet are to provide coaches and sports performers with an insight into the role of fitness testing and how it may help them in their sport. It will also address some of the issues on what to be aware of when undertaking a fitness test and how to utilise the results. However, it is acknowledged that success in sport is not solely built upon physical fitness, but also requires technical ability and good mental skills and attitudes, all of which must be trained to meet the demands of the sport.

 

How can fitness testing help you?

Whether you are a coach or participant at club or international level, in whatever sport, fitness testing can almost certainly help your performance. The potential uses and benefits of fitness testing can be listed as follows:

However, whilst fitness testing can be a valuable tool for both coach and performer, it is not a panacea. Therefore the following sections identify what makes a good fitness test and how they can be used to support the performer.

 

What makes a good fitness test?

To provide useful information, fitness tests must fulfil certain criteria.

If they don’t they can produce misleading information with undesirable consequences.

In order to generate meaningful information, fitness tests must be:

 

Making the test specific to the sport

To be relevant to a sport a fitness test must mimic one or a combination of the fitness demands of that sport. For example, if a sport requires the participants to run, then the tests should involve running rather than cycling and the converse is also true. If players have to sprint and repeatedly change direction then a test should be designed to assess this, with each sprint being run over the kind of distances experienced in the sport. In some sports such as badminton, tests may be designed to include running backwards and sideways. Sport specificity may also extend to requiring the participant to perform the test in full kit. For example, it may be appropriate for a cricket batsman to wear a helmet, pads and carry a bat when being tested for speed between the wickets.

Making the test valid

To be valid, a test must assess what it is intending to. For example, an assessment of maximal strength must indeed measure maximal strength, not muscular endurance. So whilst completing as many press-ups a possible may be a good measure of endurance for those muscles, it is not a valid measure of maximal strength. Likewise, if a test lacks sport specificity it is unlikely to be a valid test for that particular sport.

Problems of validity can also arise if other factors have the potential to mask what is being assessed. For example, if assessing sprinting speed in hockey, it would be inappropriate to require the player to dribble a ball, as this would be an assessment of dribbling speed not sprinting speed.

 

Making the test reliable

Reliability refers to how repeatable a test is, or how consistent the results are. In an ideal situation if a performer was to repeat a test under exactly the same conditions, with no change in their fitness they should produce identical results. Of course in reality attaining exactly the same results is most unlikely due to slight random differences by the performer from one day to the next. Coaches and performers simply need to be aware that a relatively small change in the test scores may not mean a change in fitness. For example, if a coach knows that test results can vary by 2 - 5% due to miscellaneous variations from one day to the next, then a test result within this margin suggests no real change in fitness. If however a test result is substantially different from the previous result by more than 2 - 5% then this implies a real difference.

 

Ensuring accuracy


Test accuracy will be incorporated into the test validity and reliability. It covers such aspects as the accuracy to which measurements can be recorded, such as the stop-watch timing of a sprint. A highly skilled coach may be able to hand time with an accuracy of + or - 0.1 of a second, but would not be able to accurately record to + or - 0.01 of a second. This needs to be borne in mind when using any instrumentation and the results recorded accordingly.

 

Test sensitivity

A test must be sufficiently sensitive to detect changes in fitness. If it is not, then a considerable amount of hard training and real gains in fitness could go undetected, which would be severely de-motivating for the performer and undermine the credibility of the coach. The sensitivity of a test will depend upon the reliability of the test and accuracy of the measurements.

 

Types of fitness tests

Fitness tests for each fitness component


Physical fitness is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon, being composed of:

Other attributes such as the ability to accelerate quickly and rapidly change direction, along with the ability to perform other sport specific movements can also be considered as fitness components. For effective fitness testing the coach and performer need to identify the fitness components, which contribute to performance in their sport, select an appropriate battery of tests and then administer them.

Since each sport differs in relation to the different fitness components needed, the fitness tests used for one sport may be very different from those used in another. In team and racquet sports the picture can be complex and only a detailed analysis of the sport will reveal the fitness components that require assessment

 

Laboratory and field based testing

Laboratory testing is only one form of testing and whilst they do have a place in sport and coaching science they are not always accessible or even the best means of providing the information the coach needs. For example, for some sports there is specialised equipment such as treadmills, cycles and rowing machines, which enable the demands of the sport to be closely simulated and therefore generate valuable information. However, for team sports, racquet games and many other sporting activities this equipment may have limited value.

The controlled laboratory environment is also usually quite different from the sporting environment in which performers compete and therefore, field based fitness tests have a distinct advantage. Field tests are conducted in the sporting environment, such as a sports hall or playing field. This helps to ensure that the tests are sport specific, the data is collected in context and that the participants can appreciate the relevance of the tests. However, to produce meaningful results field based testing requires considerable thought and care in its administration.

Since laboratory tests are generally conducted by Sport Scientists, this SPORTSsheet will focus upon field based testing which the coach and performer may well wish to undertake themselves. Sources for further information on laboratory testing are listed at the end of this information sheet.

 

Administering meaningful fitness tests

Standardising tests

As indicated previously, a test must have good reliability in order to produce meaningful results. To maximise its reliability, as many variables as possible must be standardised, otherwise the participant may be affected on a particular day, thereby reducing the meaningfulness of any comparisons. Factors which can affect the results of a test are:

 

Standardising the environment

There are many environmental factors which need to be considered with field testing, especially when taking place outdoors due to the effects of the weather. For example, the ground surface may be firm and dry at one time in the year, yet wet, muddy and slippery at another. The temperature and weather will also have an influence upon the performance of many tests. Therefore when conducting a test the coach should note the conditions when recording the test scores for later comparison. Also, given the likely intention of wishing to compare the results of one testing session to those of other occasions it may be necessary to cancel a testing session if the environment is particularly adverse and likely to have a very significant effect upon the performers.

 

Standardising the test protocol

Unless a test protocol is closely standardised it will not generate meaningful data that can be compared. For example, there are a number of variations of the sit-up, including: (i) the participant having their feet free or held by a partner, (ii) having their knees and hips flexed at different angles and (iii) having their hands positioned on their thighs, across their chest, or behind their ears. Each of these variations affect the difficulty of the exercise and consequently the number of repetitions they are likely to achieve. Therefore, the preferred version needs to be selected, carefully administered and the details recorded for future test comparisons.

In tests where the number of repetitions completed within a set time limit is being recorded the quality of the movement must be standardised and must not be sacrificed in the desire for speed. In an attempt to overcome problems of standardisation sports coach UK (formerly the National Coaching Foundation) developed an Abdominal Curl Conditioning Test which requires the participants to perform standardised sit-ups in time to a pre-recorded cassette, on which the speed of performing the sit-ups increases every minute until exhaustion. Although primarily designed as an abdominal test could be used with many other exercises such as press-ups.

If conducting a test of speed or agility which requires the use of markers or cones, it is vital that the position of these is recorded precisely.

 

Standardising the preparation of participant(s) before tests

Test participants should be fully informed of what is expected of them. Leading up to a test it may be necessary to ask them to adhere to pre-test behaviour which could otherwise affect the results. This might include instructions about nutrition, level of training 48 hours pre-test, the consumption of alcohol and even smoking. Most physical tests are enhanced by a warm-up and therefore a standard warm up should be performed by the participants. The exact content of the warm-up will depend upon the sport and test, but is likely to be similar to that used before a competition.

If conducting a battery of tests, the sequence in which they are performed can be important, as fatigue from one test can affect the results of another test. Therefore the test sequence and if appropriate, duration of recovery between tests should be standardised and recorded. When conducting a set of fitness tests within one session it is generally recommended that they are performed in the following sequence
(i) height, weight and physique measurements; (ii) aerobic fitness; (iii) muscular strength and endurance; and (iv) flexibility. However, if the aerobic test is maximal it could impact upon the muscular strength and endurance tests and consequently it is arguable that these should go before aerobic fitness. Indeed in an ideal situation the tests should be performed on separate days to allow for full recovery following a maximal effort. When testing a squad or repeating a battery of tests on the same individual the test sequence and duration of recovery should be identical.

 

Enhancing test standardisation through familiarity

Familiarity with test procedures can affect the results and it may be necessary for the participant to repeat the test several times before a true measurement can be attained. For some non-exhaustive tests, a repeat measurement may take place within a matter of minutes, whereas for exhaustive tests several hours or even days may be required to fully recover before a second test can take place.

The basis of checking for familiarisation is that since an improvement in fitness is unlikely to occur in a matter of days, any observed improvements in the test score are likely to be due to familiarity. For most field tests the participants are likely to be fully familiarised after 2 - 4 sessions.

If a test requires a particular technique or skill, some familiarisation and practice should be included in the warm-up preceding the test to ensure that the participant is fully familiar and practiced at the test requirements.

 

Analysing tests and providing feedback

After a fitness test the coach should compare the test scores with those they would expect for participants in their sport and/or against an individual’s previous test results. If this results in particular fitness components being identified as requiring specific attention, then relevant training can be prescribed.

Feedback to the performer is vitally important, as it can show them how the process can help them to improve. The process of fitness testing does not stop at the end of the test as data interpretation, feedback and the application of the results are what make the process valuable. Knowing what the results mean and how they relate to an individual’s performance will help them to see the relevance of the process, perhaps providing additional motivation. Feedback must be clear, concise and relevant to the individual’s performance in their sport. Applying the data to the sporting and training context is essential, otherwise it will appear to be divorced from what they are really interested in.

 

What fitness tests cannot do

Fitness tests are not a panacea that will solve all a coach’s problems and create better performers. They are a tool which if used correctly can provide valuable information that the coach can utilise when designing training programmes. However, they do not tell the coach who is the best player or who will win the event and should not be used as a selection process. Therefore the coach must ensure that they use the results in combination with all the other factors that go to make up a good performer, such as technical skill, tactical awareness and their mental attitude.

Assessing children


Fitness assessment of children raises a number of points. The coach will be aware that not all children of the same chronological age are at the same stage of development. Consequently, their stature, physiology and exercise capacities will differ. Those who mature early may gain some advantage in sport at this time, but some years later may be overtaken by late developers. This is one of the reasons why it can be problematic if trying to apply ‘norms’ to the fitness results of children. The coach may develop their own expectations of what is required of performers in a particular age group, but must be aware that the child’s physique and physiological capacity may alter with their growth and maturity. Indeed it is sometimes the case that certain fitness components will decline as they mature. For example, flexibility may be reduced as the bones lengthen in advance of the musculature, or aerobic capacity relative to body mass may fall as they grow, particularly in females whose percentage body fat increases at puberty.

 

Recommended reading and other sources of information

American College of Sports Medicine (1995). ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. 5th ed. Phil: Williams & Wilkins.

British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (1997) Physiological Testing Guidelines, Leeds: BASES.

NCF (1995) A Guide to Field Based Fitness Testing. Leeds: National Coaching Foundation. (now sports coach UK)

 

Resources available from sports coach UK

Abdominal curl conditioning test

Multistage fitness test

 

For information on accredited physiological testing laboratories contact


British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, 114 Cardigan Road, Headingley, LEEDS, LS6 3BJ, Tel: 0113 289 1020

Other Useful contacts

Kent Sports Development Unit 01622 605054/605055
Sports Coach UK (South East) 01273 685070

Acknowledgements

Written by Professor Steve Bird, Kent Sports Science Support Programme, Canterbury Christchurch University College.

To: Canterbury Christ Church - Sports Science To: Lucozade Sport To: Sportsmatch