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

Benefits of Testing

The results from tests can be used to:

• Predict future performance
• Indicate strengths and weaknesses
• Measure improvement
• Enable the coach to assess the success of the training programme
• Place the athlete in an appropriate training group
• Motivate the athlete
• Break up and add variety to the training programme
• Satisfy the athlete's competitive urge out of season
• Guide the return to sport decision-making
• Testing demands the maximum effort of the athlete - useful at times as a training unit

Requirements of Testing

The selected test should measure the factors required to be tested. All tests should be:

• Specific
  • designed to assess and athlete's fitness for the activity in question
• 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
  • Measure one factor only??
  • 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

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