Fitness and Performance Testing in Sport - Benefits, Requirements and Results

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Why Fitness and Performance Testing in Sport?

• Assess athletic talent
• Identify physical abilities
• Identify areas in need of improvement
• Goal setting
• Progress evaluation
• Indicates effectiveness of decisions related to athletes (Fukuda text book)
• Provides quality data that can inform decision-making processes (Fukuda)

Key Terminology

• Test = a procedure for assessing ability in a particular endeavour
• Field test = a test used to assess ability that is performed away from the laboratory and does not require extensive training or expensive equipment
• Measurement = the process of collecting test data
• Evaluation = the process of analysing test results for the purpose of making decisions

Requirements of Testing

The concepts of validity and reliability are key to effective assessments. Consider the following principles in performance testing:

• Specificity
  • designed to assess and athlete's fitness for the activity in question
  • consider the general demands of the sport or activity
    • type of exercises/movements required during sport(e.g., running, jumping, kicking, throwing)
    • can movement or exercise be completed in a single movement (discrete), is there a series of connected movements (serial) or is there a repeated pattern of movements (cyclical)
    • discrete and serial movements are usually easy identifiable but may need to be broken up into phases to focus on specific demands
    • cyclical movements focus on the repetitive physical actions and this needs to be considered when selecting an appropriate test
  • consider athlete constraints
• Validity
  • the degree to which the test measures what it clams to measure
  • this is the most important characteristic of testing
  • Types of validity:
    • Construct validity
      • The ability of a test to represent the underlying construct (the theory developed to organise and explain some aspects of existing knowledge and observations)
    • Face validity
      • The appearance to the athlete and other observers that the test measures what it is purported to measure
    • Content validity
      • The assessment by experts that the testing covers all relevant subtopics or component abilities in appropriate proportions
    • Criterion-referenced validity
      • The extent to which test scores are associated with some other measure of the same ability
• Reliability
  • A measure of the degree of consistency or repeatability of a test
  • Capable of consistent repetition
  • Measurement error can arise from the following:
    • Intra-subject (within subjects) variability
      • The lack of consistent performance by the person tested
    • Intra-rater (within raters) variability
      • The consistency of scores by a given tester
    • Inter-rater (between raters) reliability
      • The consistency of scores across a group of raters
• Objectivity
  • Produce a consistent result irrespective of the tester
• Other considerations
  • Tests should not require any technical competence on the part of the athlete (unless it is being used to assess technique)
  • Care should be taken to make sure that the athlete understands precisely what is required of him/her, what is being measured and why
  • Test procedures should be strictly standardised in terms of administration, organisation and environmental conditions
    • Repeatability

Factors that Influence Test Results

Table 1. Examples of influencing factors on fitness and performance test results

Factors that Influence Fitness and Performance Test Results
Ambient temperature, noise level and humidity Amount of sleep the athlete had before testing Athlete's emotional state Medication that athlete may be taking Time of day Athlete's caffeine intake Time since athlete's last meal Test environment - surface (track, grass, road, gym) Consequences of testing results Availability and condition of equipment	Timing and sequencing of testing Athlete's prior knowledge and experience Accuracy of measurements Is athlete applying maximum effort in maximal tests Inappropriate warm-up People/spectators present Personality, knowledge and skill of tester Athlete's clothing and shoes Surface on which test s conducted Other environmental conditions - wind, rain, etc

Making Tests More Reliable and Valid

• Use competent and well-trained testers
• Equipment should be standardised and calibrated regularly
• Each test should measure only one factor
• Care should be taken to make sure the athlete understands exactly what is required of them
• Test procedure should be standardises in terms of administration, organisation and environmental conditions
• Test should be designed so that it can easily be repeated by another trained tester
• Test should be fully documented so that it can be administered in the same way the next time it is conducted

Test Selection

• Needs of the team/coach
  • Context of testing
• Needs of the athlete
  • Age
  • Career level
  • Injury or training status
• Relevance of the test
• Ease of implementation
• Redundant assessments
• Intentional efficiency
• Testing specificity
• Availability of normative data

SWOT analysis

• S = Strengths
• W = Weaknesses
• O = Opportunities
• T = Threats

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