Administration, Scoring, and Interpretation of Selected Tests chapter 13 Administration, Scoring, and Interpretation of Selected Tests Michael McGuigan, PhD

Chapter Objectives Discern the best ways to measure selected parameters related to athletic performance Administer field tests appropriately Evaluate and analyze test data and make normative comparisons Understand appropriate statistics Combine the results of selected tests to generate an athletic profile

Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance Maximum muscular strength (low-speed strength) Related to the force a muscle or muscle group can exert in one maximal effort Generally tested via 1-repetition maximum (1RM) in a particular lift (continued)

Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance (continued) Anaerobic or maximum muscular power (high-speed strength) Related to the ability of muscle tissue to exert high force while contracting at a high speed (also called maximal anaerobic muscular power or anaerobic power) May include vertical jump height and time to sprint up a staircase

Key Point Most maximal muscular strength tests use relatively slow movement speeds and therefore reflect low-speed strength. Assessment of high-speed muscular strength can involve measuring the 1RM for explosive resistance training exercises or the height of a vertical jump.

Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance Anaerobic capacity Maximal rate of energy production by the combined phosphagen and anaerobic glycolytic energy systems for moderate-duration activities Local muscular endurance Ability of certain muscles or muscle groups to perform repeated contractions against a submaximal resistance (continued)

Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance (continued) Aerobic capacity Maximum rate at which an athlete can produce energy through oxidation of energy resources (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) Usually expressed as a volume of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute (i.e., ml·kg–1·min–1); also called aerobic power (continued)

Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance (continued) Agility The ability to change direction or speed of the whole body in response to a sport-specific stimulus Agility testing is generally confined to physical capacity testing such as change-of-direction speed or cognitive components such as anticipation. (continued)

Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance (continued) Speed Movement distance per unit time, typically quantified as the time taken to cover a fixed distance Flexibility Range of motion about a body joint Balance and stability Balance: The ability to maintain static and dynamic equilibrium Stability: The ability to return to a desired position following a disturbance to the system (continued)

Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance (continued) Body composition Relative proportions by weight of fat and lean tissue Anthropometry The science of measurement applied to the human body Generally includes measurements of height, weight, and selected body girths (continued)

Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance (continued) Testing conditions To maximize the reliability of tests, conditions should be as similar as possible for all athletes tested and from test to retest of the same athlete. Temperature and humidity, surface, and type of equipment should be consistent. Athletes should not be tested when fatigued. They should arrive for testing normally hydrated and with standard nutrition (no supplements). Warm-up for the tests should be standardized.

1RM Bench Press Detailed technique is described in chapter 15. Detailed 1RM methods are described in chapter 17. Coaches should aim to find a 1RM within three to five attempts after the warm-up.

1RM Bench Pull Figure 13.1 (next slides) (a) Starting position of the bench pull (b) Top position

Figure 13.1(a)

Figure 13.1(b)

1RM Back Squat Detailed technique is described in chapter 15. Detailed 1RM methods are described in chapter 17. Coaches should aim to find a 1RM within three to five attempts after the warm-up.

1RM Power Clean Detailed technique is described in chapter 15. Detailed 1RM methods are described in chapter 17.

Standing Long Jump Athlete stands with toes just behind the starting line and performs a counter-movement jump as far forward as possible Athlete must land on the feet in order for the jump to be scored Distance is measured from the back edge of the athlete’s rearmost heel

Vertical Jump Using Wall and Chalk Tester rubs chalk on the athlete’s dominant hand. Athlete stands about 6 inches from the wall and places a mark on the wall with the dominant arm as high as possible while keeping both feet flat on the floor. Athlete then performs a countermovement jump and places a second chalk mark as high as possible on the wall.

Vertical Jump Using a Commercial Vertec Device Figure 13.2 (next slide) (a) Starting position of the vertical jump (b) Maximum height of the jump

Figure 13.2

Static Vertical Jump Figure 13.3 (next slide) (a) Starting position of the static vertical jump (b) Maximum height of the jump

Figure 13.3

Reactive Strength Index Figure 13.4 (next slide) (a) Starting position of the drop jump test to measure reactive strength index (b) Contact on mat (c) Maximum height of the jump

Figure 13.4

Margaria-Kalamen Test Figure 13.5 (next slide) The Margaria-Kalamen stair sprint test The athlete sprints toward the stairs from a standing start 20 feet (6 m) from the base of the stairs and then up the staircase three steps at a time. Power in watts is calculated as the athlete’s weight (w) in newtons times height (h) in meters from the third step to the ninth step divided by the measured time interval (t) in seconds: P (watts) = (w × h) / t.

Figure 13.5

300-Yard Shuttle Figure 13.6 (next slide) Ground layout for the 300-yard (274 m) shuttle Pair off athletes of similar ability. The athletes sprint to the line 25 yards (22.86 m) away, then immediately sprint back to the first line. Six round trips are made as fast as possible without stopping. The average of two trials is recorded to the nearest 1.0 second.

Figure 13.6

Partial Curl-Up Figure 13.7 (next slide) Curl-up (a) Beginning position (b) End position Set a metronome to 40 beats per minute. Have the individual do slow, controlled curl-ups to lift the shoulder blades off the mat in time with the metronome. The upper back must touch the floor before each curl-up. The athlete performs as many curl-ups as possible without pausing, to a maximum of 75.

Figure 13.7

Push-Up Figure 13.8 (next slide) Push-up according to Army standard: (a) Beginning position (b) End position For the Army standard, as many repetitions as possible are done within a timed 2-minute period.

Figure 13.8

Push-Up Figure 13.9 (next slide) Push up according to ACSM standard for females: (a) Beginning position (b) End position For ACSM standards, as many repetitions as possible are done continuously until failure.

Figure 13.9

YMCA Bench Press Test Resistance is set at 80 pounds for males and 35 pounds for females. Set metronome cadence at 60 beats per minute to establish a rate of 30 repetitions per minute (one beat up, one beat down). This test is performed until the athlete can no longer perform repetitions with the metronome.

1.5-Mile Run Athletes should perform this test as quickly as possible at a steady pace that they can barely maintain over the distance. Each runner’s time should be recorded in minutes and seconds.

12-Minute Run This test should be performed on a 400 m track or flat course with markers every 100 m. Athletes travel as far as possible in 12 minutes. The distance covered by athletes (e.g., 5.25 laps × 400 m = 2,100 m) should be calculated and recorded.

Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Figure 13.10 (next slide) A 20 m test course with markers 2 m apart at each end of the course and 5 m distance behind start line At the signal, athletes run forward to the turning line At second signal, athletes arrive at the turning line and then run back to the starting line Athletes jog toward the 5 m mark after the start line and return to start line to wait for next sound Test is terminated when athlete cannot maintain required pace for two trials

Figure 13.10

Maximal Aerobic Speed Test Marker cones are placed at 20 m intervals around the running track. The initial speed of the test is set between 8 and 12 km/h, depending on the fitness level of the athlete. The speed is then increased by 1 km/h every 2 minutes until the athlete cannot maintain the speed. (continued)

Maximal Aerobic Speed Test (continued) The last speed maintained for at least 2 minutes is considered the speed associated with VO2max or MAS. The test is terminated if the athlete fails to reach the next cone on two consecutive occasions in the required time. . (continued)

Maximal Aerobic Speed Test (continued) The speed at the last completed stage is increased by 0.5 km/h if the athlete is able to run a half stage. The VO2max of the athlete can be calculated by multiplying 3.5 by MAS (speed in km/h). .

T-Test Figure 13.11 (next slide) The athlete taking the test does the following: Begins at point A Sprints to point B and touches the base of the cone with the right hand. Shuffles left and touches the base of cone C with the left hand. Shuffles right and touches the base of cone D with the right hand. Shuffles left and touches the base of cone B with the left hand. Runs backward past point A.

Figure 13.11

Hexagon Test Figure 13.12 (next slide) The athlete double-leg hops from the center of the hexagon over each side and back to the center, starting with the side directly in front of the athlete Continues in a clockwise sequence until all six sides are covered three times A total of 18 jumps

Figure 13.12

Pro Agility Test Figure 13.13 (next slide) The athlete straddles the centermost of the three parallel lines using a three-point stance. On the signal, the athlete sprints 5 yards (4.6 m) to the line on the left, then changes direction and sprints 10 yards (9.1 m) to the line on the right, then again changes direction and sprints 5 yards (4.6 m) to the center line. Foot contact must be made with all indicated lines. The best time of two trials is recorded to the nearest 0.01 second.

Figure 13.13

505 Agility Test Figure 13.14 (next slide) The athlete taking the test does the following: Sprints 5 yards (4.6 m) to the line on the left Changes direction and sprints 10 yards (9.1 m) to the line on the right Again changes direction and sprints 5 yards (4.6 m) to the center line

Figure 13.14

Straight-Line Sprint Tests Have the athlete warm up and dynamically stretch for several minutes. Allow at least two practice runs at submaximal speed. The athlete assumes a starting position using a three- or four-point stance. (continued)

Straight-Line Sprint Tests (continued) On an auditory signal, the athlete sprints the specified distance at maximal speed. The best split times of two trials are recorded to the nearest 0.1 second. Allow at least 2 minutes of active recovery or rest between trials.

Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) The three stance positions Double-leg stance with feet together Single-leg stance on the nondominant foot with contralateral leg in approximately 90° of flexion Tandem stance with the dominant foot in front of the nondominant foot Test conducted on a firm surface and a soft surface (continued)

Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) (continued) The stances are held for 20 seconds with eyes closed for each condition and hands on hips. Athletes are told to keep as steady as possible, and if they lose balance, they attempt to regain their initial position as quickly as possible. (continued)

Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) (continued) Errors include the following: Opening eyes Lifting hands from hips Touchdown of nonstance foot Step, hop, or other movement of the stance foot/feet Lifting forefoot or heel Moving hip into more than 30° of hip flexion or abduction Remaining out of position for more than 5 seconds (continued)

Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) (continued) Figure 13.15, a to c (next slide) Firm surface condition

Figure 13.15, a to c

Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) Figure 13.15, d to f (next slide) Soft surface condition

Figure 13.15, d to f

Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) Athlete stands in the center of a grid with eight lines (120 cm) extending out at 45° increments. Athlete maintains a single-leg stance facing in one direction while reaching with the contralateral leg as far as possible for each taped line, touching the farthest point possible, and then returning to the bilateral position. (continued)

Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) (continued) Within a single trial, the athlete remains facing in the beginning direction and the stance leg remains the same, with the other leg doing all of the reaching. The distance from the center of the star to the touch position is measured. The starting direction and support leg are chosen randomly. (continued)

Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) (continued) Three trials are performed for each condition and averaged. 15 seconds of rest is allowed between each of the reaches. Trials are discarded if the athlete Does not touch the line Lifts stance foot from the center grid Loses balance Does not maintain start and return positions for 1 full second (continued)

Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) (continued) Athletes should be given a minimum of four practice trials before being tested. It has been suggested that testing the anteromedial, medial, and posteromedial positions is sufficient for most situations. (continued)

Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) (continued) Figure 13.16 (next slide) Directions for the star excursion balance test

Figure 13.16

Sit-and-Reach Test Figure 13.17 (next slides) Sit-and-reach test (a) Starting position (b) Final position

Figure 13.17(a)

Figure 13.17(b)

Overhead Squat Figure 13.18 (next slide) Body position for overhead squat (a) Starting position (b) Squat position A minimum of five repetitions should be performed

Figure 13.18

Skinfold Measurements Figure 13.19 (next slide) (a) Chest skinfold (b) Thigh skinfold

Figure 13.19, a to b

Skinfold Measurements Figure 13.19 (next slide) (c) Abdomen skinfold (d) Triceps skinfold

Figure 13.19, c to d

Skinfold Measurements Figure 13.19 (next slide) (e) Suprailium skinfold (f) Midaxilla skinfold

Figure 13.19, e to f

Skinfold Measurements Figure 13.19 (next slide) (g) Subscapula skinfold (h) Calf skinfold

Figure 13.19, g to h

Girth Skinfolds Figure 13.20 (next slide) Common sites for girth measurements Chest Upper arm Forearm Waist Hips Thigh Calf

Figure 13.20

Statistical Evaluation of Test Data Descriptive statistics Central tendency Mean: The average of the scores Median: The middlemost score when a set of scores is arranged in order of magnitude Mode: The score that occurs with the greatest frequency (continued)

Statistical Evaluation of Test Data (continued) Descriptive statistics Variability Range: The interval from the lowest to the highest score Standard deviation: A measure of the variability of a set of scores about the mean Percentile rank The percentage of test takers scoring below an individual

Normal Bell Curve Figure 13.21 (next slide) “Normally distributed” scores form the bell-shaped curve shown in this figure. Standard deviation is most useful when scores are normally distributed.

Figure 13.21

Statistical Evaluation of Test Data Inferential versus magnitude statistics Inferential statistics Allow one to draw general conclusions about a population from information collected in a population sample. Population sample must be representative. (continued)

Statistical Evaluation of Test Data (continued) Inferential versus magnitude statistics Magnitude statistics Allow for interpretation of the clinical significance of fitness testing Smallest worthwhile change: the ability of a test to detect the smallest practically important change in performance Effect size: a statistic used for calculating group performance following a training program or comparing between groups of athletes (continued)

Statistical Evaluation of Test Data (continued) Developing an athletic profile Select tests that will measure the specific parameters most closely related to the characteristics of the sport or sports in question. Choose valid and reliable tests to measure these parameters, and arrange the testing battery in an appropriate order with sufficient rest between tests to promote test reliability. Administer the test battery to as many athletes as possible. (continued)

Statistical Evaluation of Test Data (continued) Developing an athletic profile Compare to normative data where appropriate. Develop own norms when standardized procedures are used. Conduct repeat testing (e.g., before and after training program) and use the results to present a visual profile with figures. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the athletes and design the training program with these in mind.