Fitness plays a big role in sports management, because without fit athletes there is no sport. Exercise science falls under the broader sports management field, and involves – among other things – the assessment of athlete fitness levels. To do so, a holistic understanding of the human body and the way it moves and functions is necessary – if not vital. There are a few fitness assessments available to the sports professional, including:
Fitness assessment guide
Assessing Cardio-Respiratory Endurance
This is done by measuring maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) during a specific exercise, often taking place in doctor’s clinics and hospitals. Personal trainers utilise submaximal exercise tests, involving established fitness assessments like:
- The multi-stage beep test
Created in the mid-1980s, the multistage wellness test was made to give a financially savvy forecast of V02 max in kids, youths, and grown-ups. This has turned into the most prominent test for estimating aerobic power.
- The 2.4 km Cooper run test
The Cooper 2.4 km (1.5 mile) run test is a straightforward running test of aerobic wellness that was developed by Kenneth H Cooper in 1968 for the military in the United States of America.
The first configuration was to test how far an individual could keep running in 12 minutes. Later this was changed to a timed distance. The run assesses the state of the individual’s fitness as the person undergoing the test runs the distance at a steady pace.
- The Astrand treadmill test
The Astrand test is a predictive test which measures the personal training client’s VO2max, in other words their aerobic or cardiovascular fitness. Here’s how to perform this test:
- The competitor performs a warm-up for 10 minutes.
- The person doing the testing sets up the treadmill with a speed of 8.05km/hr (5 mph) and a slope of 0%.
- The tester gives the order “GO”, begins the stopwatch and the competitor begins the test.
- Three minutes into the test, the tester changes the treadmill grade to 2.5% and after that like clockwork from there on builds the slope by 2.5%
- The tester stops the stopwatch and records when the competitor cannot proceed further.
Assessing Muscular Fitness & Flexibility
Traditionally, muscular strength has been measured using cable tensiometers. The one-rep maximum test (1RM) is often made use of to test strength. In other words, the heaviest weight you can bench press, incline press, leg press and squat. Other muscular fitness tests include:
- Deadlift Repetition Max
This is a particular repetition maximum (RM) test for the lower body. It uses the deadlift exercise in order to ascertain results.
- Dynamic Sit-Up Test
This is a test that uses the sit-up exercise to estimate the dynamic strength of the stomach and hip flexor muscles. The test is performed in 3 dimensions. This variety of the sit-up quality test is a piece of the ALPHA-Fit protocol for adults.
- Isometric Back Strength
This test measures how strong a person’s back is. Back strength is important for supporting a person’s abdominal muscles in addition to preventing back pain.
Assessing General Composition of the Body
Body composition used to involve a visual assessment, but nowadays sports professionals have a range of tests at their fingertips. The best way to assess the general body composition is to combine body fat percentage testing, with blood pressure and blood sugar tests. Ways to test body fat include:
- 7-site Skinfold test
To perform this test correctly, you’ll need to get hold of body fat callipers. Alternatively, a dietitian or biokineticist can help you to do this.
- Body Circumference test
As the name suggests, this test measures what the circumference of your body is. A pro tip is to use a cloth measuring tape as opposed to a metal one as this will give more accurate measurements.
- Hydrostatic Weighing test
This test measures body fat against lean muscle composition in a person’s body.
Get Qualified to Perform Fitness Assessments
The Trifocus Fitness Academy comprehensive exercise science course – in addition to the world-class personal training diploma – delves into the above fitness assessments; as well as the concepts of fitness, the fundamentals of nutrition, anatomy and biomechanics. Contact us today to find out more!
