SUMMARY OF TESTS

Anthropometry

Height and Body Mass - Height and body mass can be used to calculate body mass index (BMI). A high BMI is a marker of overweight/obesity and is a risk factor for a range of chronic diseases.

Waist Girth - Waist girth assesses abdominal adiposity (fatty tissue). High abdominal adiposity (i.e. accumulation of fat around the abdomen) is associated with an increased risk of a range of chronic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

Gluteal (Hip) Girth - When combined with the measurement of waist girth, the measurement of hip girth can be used to calculate the waist:hip ratio (WHR). A WHR of > 0.9 for males and > 0.8 for females increases risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

Skinfolds - Skinfold measurement is a common method for assessing your body composition. Skinfold calipers are used to measure the thickness of the skin and underlying adipose tissue (fat below the surface of the skin). Several anatomically sites are marked where the measurements will be taken, which includes your arm, back, abdominal and thigh. Skinfolds can be used to measure changes in body composition (i.e. fat or muscle gains or losses), which can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of your training. Endurance sports, such as marathon and road cycling, require a low level of body fat to maximise performance and facilitate heat loss.

Body Composition

Hydrodensitometry - Also known as underwater weighing, was once considered the gold standard for the assessment of body composition. The test is performed in a large water-filled tank where a comparison between the underwater weight and dry weight is used to determine body density and subsequent body fat. The residual volume of air in your lungs is taken into account when performing underwater weighing. Therefore, in order to obtain accurate measurements, it requires the participant to blow out as much air as possible from the lungs while being submerged underwater.

Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) – BIA is a method that quantifies the body composition by allowing a low level electrical current to pass through the body. This current is able to differentiate components such as water, fat and lean muscle mass thus being able to accurately determine your body composition. Certain types of body composition are crucial for success in specific sports. This test also allows you to easily track your progress over time. It requires you to stand still on the bioelectrical impedance analyser, similar to a weighing scale.

Flexibility

Sit & Reach - The sit & reach test provides a measure of overall flexibility. Poor flexibility may increase the risk of musculoskeletal injury and hinder performance. It is performed by utilising a sit and reach box placed in front of you where you sit on the ground with legs straight and reach forward, towards the box. 

Strength

Grip Strength - Grip strength is correlated with overall body strength and is readily assessed with lower risk than assessing overall body strength using maximal contraction of multiple muscle groups. Low strength is associated with an increased risk of falls in older adults. The test is performed using a hand dynamometer, which is squeezed as hard as possible whilst moving the arms down in a 180 degree arch.

Abdominal Strength - Abdominal strength is important because strong abdominal muscles assist with stabilising the core. This can protect against injury to the lower back and against the development of non-specific low back pain. The latter is the most common cause of disability in adults under the age of 45 years. A series of sit-up exercises are performed with each one getting progressively more difficult than the previous. The abdominal strength score is the last completed exercise.

Mid-thigh Pull / Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull (IMTP) – IMTP is an effective test to measure the maximal strength of an athlete. The test involves the individual performing an exercise by pulling on a bar with a maximal effort for 3- 5 seconds (similar to a fixed deadlift at midthigh level). Mid-thigh pull is important as there is a correlation between strength and power for sprint speed and vertical jump height. Improving this aspect of training may improve performance in the sport.

Aerobic Power

Determination of VO2 max – VO2 max testing is the gold standard for determining the maximum rate of oxygen that the body is able to consume during exercise. The greater the VO2 max, the more oxygen the muscles can consume, and the more effectively the body can use that oxygen to generate the maximum amount of energy. This means that the body can better handle aerobic activities that require a lot of oxygen intake like running, swimming, cycling, rowing etc. A high VO2 max can be a good predictor of athletic performance, especially for endurance athletes. A VO2 max test can also be used as a benchmark to track the progress as you improve your athletic abilities or if you’re trying to keep your VO2 max at a certain level to maintain your performance. This test will measure the expired levels of both oxygen and carbon dioxide using a metabolic cart as you exert yourself to your maximum potential on a treadmill, bike or rower. 

VO₂ Submaximal Predicted - A submaximal test is used to predict the maximum rate of oxygen that your body is able to consume during exercise. It is an easier and safer method of determining VO2 max for the general population. It requires you to pedal on a stationary bike for 6 minutes at a constant speed with your heart rate monitored throughout. The data gathered is then used to predict your VO2 max.

Aerobic Capacity

Lactate Threshold - The lactate threshold is the point at which the body produces lactic acid faster than it can remove it. As a result, people are unable to maintain this intensity for long periods and the body is forced to slow down. Training at, or slightly above, your lactate threshold will cause your body to adapt to this intensity, meaning that you will be able to perform better at this intensity and therefore increase your “threshold”. This will directly translate to improving your performance in any endurance type events. You will be required to start exercising (run, cycle or row) at a low intensity and the pace incrementally increases every 3-5 minutes until the desired level (just below maximal). At the end of each increment, blood samples are taken from the fingertip via a pin prick to measure the blood lactate levels.

Anaerobic Power

Vertical Jump - Power is defined as the rate of doing work. How high a person can jump depends on how rapidly they can accelerate their body, with a faster acceleration, and therefore more power, resulting in a higher jump. Vertical jump height is commonly measured in athletes across a range of sports where jump height or power are important for performance (e.g. AFL, basketball, volleyball, sprint cycling etc).

Power Test on Watt Bike - Performed on a stationary bike which measures your peak power produced in six seconds. It determines your greatest force applied to the pedals and how fast this force is being applied. Commonly performed to analyse maximum performance and under group settings. To perform the test, you ride as hard as you can for six seconds. Peak power generally occurs within the first few pedal rotations.

Speed and Agility

Speed and agility are essential elements required for most team sports. Sprint tests are used to determine an individual’s ability to accelerate and run at speed. The basic movement patterns of many sports also require the players to perform sudden changes in body direction. The purpose of most tests of agility is to measure the ability to rapidly change body direction and position in the horizontal plane. With all field testing it is important to record the test environment conditions (temperature, humidity and surface). Changes in fitness should be the only variable that produces a change in performance.

Sprints - Acceleration and speed are assessed using timing gates placed at the desired distances specific to the sport. Typically, these have been set at 5, 10 and 20 m (team sport players rarely run more than 20 m in a straight line during a game).

Agility - Timing gates placed at the desired locations specific to the test/sport are used to assess agility by using a change of direction method. The most popular and simplest test is the 5-0-5 agility test. This test measures the time for a single “up and back” 5 m course from a running start.

Reaction Time Test

Utilises technology to determine your reaction time which is important for effectively and efficiently responding to stimuli relevant for all sports as well as everyday living activities such as driving, walking or shopping. Consists of a series of tests to determine how fast your movements are and your movement accuracy in response to your environment.

Sports Profiling

The results from a battery of fitness tests are used to determine which sport the participant is most suited by comparing to a database of athletes’ data from numerous sports. The testing is usually performed within a group/school setting.

Performance Analysis

Digital video analysis using software (Hudl Sportscode) enables players and coaches to break down match video into smaller highlighted clips. This facilitates the player/team review process and enables coaches to strategically plan for future competition and training. The software is also customisable to display statistics from the coded timeline both live and post event.