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Fitness Testing Guide
Choosing a Test
Conducting Tests
Interpreting Results
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This guide is presented as a service to athletes, coaches, parents and exercise physiologists, who wish to evaluate their own or someone else's fitness level, or to gain a greater understanding of tests that they have performed.

There are probably hundreds of standard fitness tests used, and hundreds more variations of these. They can range from elaborate and expensive laboratory tests to simple and inexpensive field tests. Each test also has many advantages and disadvantages that can ultimately determine which is the most appropriate test to perform. If you are designing your own fitness testing regime, with the information about the relative merits and requirements of each test that is contained in this guide, you can make an informed choice of the most appropriate test or tests to use.

Firstly this guide discusses why we should perform fitness testing and the benefits of testing, then how to select appropriate fitness tests, some tips about conducting tests, and interpret the results. There are also some further readings so you can find some more detailed information yourself.

 

Once you have a good understanding of the issues concerning fitness testing, you can go and explore the growing list of tests and their descriptions on this site.

WHY FITNESS TEST?

Performance in any sporting event is the result of a multitude of factors, which include the amount of training performed, the body's adaptation to the training, motivation level, nutritional status and weather conditions to name a few. As you can see, physiological parameters only account for a portion of any performance, and so the role of any exercise physiologist is also similarly limited. Through fitness testing, the factors involving physiological processes, over which there is some control, can be measured and ultimately improved upon.

Competition is the ultimate test of performance capability, and is therefore the best indication of training success. However, when trying to maximise performance, it is important to determine the athlete's ability in individual aspects of performance. Fitness testing attempts to measure individual components of performance, with the ultimate aim of studying and maximising the athlete's ability in each component.

BENEFITS OF FITNESS TESTING - Identify Weaknesses and Strengths

Of the many benefits of fitness testing, the major use is to establish the strengths and weaknesses of the athlete. This is done by comparing test results to other athletes in the same training group, the same sport, or a similar population group. Previous test results of large groups are often published as normative tables.

By comparing results to successful athletes in your sport, you can see the areas which need improvement, and the training programme can be modified accordingly. This way valuable training time can be used more efficiently. However, beware that some athletes perform well in their sport despite their physical or physiological attributes, and it may not be advantageous to be like them.

Monitor Progress

The initial testing session can give the athlete an idea of where their fitness levels are at the start of a programme, so that future testing can be compared to this and any changes can be noted. A baseline is especially important if you are about to embark on a new training phase. Subsequent tests should be planned for the end and start of each new phase.

By repeating tests at regular intervals, you can get an idea of the effectiveness of the training programme. The time-frame between tests can depend on the availability of time or costs involved, or the phase of training the athlete is in. Depending of these factors, the period between tests may range from two weeks to six months. It usually takes a minimum of 2-6 weeks to see a demonstrable change in any aspect of fitness.

Provide Incentives

The incentive to improve can often be provided by the 'goal' of a certain test score. By knowing that they will be tested again at a later date, the athlete can aim to improve in that area.

Talent Identification

Testing is primarily used for help in designing the most appropriate athletic training programme. A general non-sport specific testing battery can provide you with an idea of your basic strengths and weaknesses, and from this you may find you would be better suited to another sport which makes better use of your strengths. Although testing has sometimes been used in this way for talent identification, it has generally not been very reliable in predicting the future success of juniors (mainly due to varying growth patterns) and in sports which rely heavily on other factors such as technique, tactics and psychological factors.