Background behind test selection

     The past two posts have deep dived into the Validity and Reliability of athletic testing. Validity and Reliability are paramount for testing as without both being in place the testing becomes a workout. Now, that we have the overall structure of the test we can decide what goes into picking athletic tests. Athletic testing selection boils down into two categories: Sport Specificity and Athlete experience. Sport specificity applies to which metabolic energy system is going to be used while performing the sport. Movement patters of said sport also plays a significant role in test selection. 

    Metabolic Energy System Specificity applies to which energy system is going to be mostly used throughout the sport. For example, it makes no sense to perform a 1RM bench press test for a cross-country athlete or a Vo2 max test for a shot-putter. In our examples the cross-country runner is predominantly going to rely on the aerobic system while the shot putter is going to rely predominantly on the phosphagen system. With that being said a more realistic test for the cross-country runner would be 1.5 mile run to assess Vo2 max. For the shot putter a 3RM power clean would be more applicable since the act of shot-putting in itself is an explosive type of movement (much like the power clean is an explosive type of movement for training).

    Biomechanical movement pattern specificity is the reflection of movements within the sport (and position) towards test selection. This was alluded to earlier with the shot putter and cross-country runner being vastly different metabolic demands. Given that these examples are incredibility different it is easy to differentiate between the two. What about a sport like Basketball and Volleyball? Now, it's starting to get a little nitpicky in terms of test selection. Both sports require vertical jumping so we can include a vertical jump test. Diving deeper into both sports we see the differences basketball is more cutting and fluid movement in the frontal plane, so a drill like the Z drill for agility would be best suited for basketball. Volleyball on the other hand requires quick reactions in all movement planes. A hexagon test would be best suited for Volleyball. Position wise a guard in basketball will need more side-to-side movements for defense so a test could center around that movement. A front court player needs to rebound so a push press would be a test to reflect the movements of basketball. Players at the net in volleyball would also benefit from the push press to help with movement patterns of blocking and vertical.

    Athlete experience and training status also play a factor in test selection. A more experienced athlete has a wider range of tests available then a novice athlete due to advanced technique and mastery of the movements. For example, an experienced long jumper has the training history to withstand a higher intensity plyometric testing while a younger athlete just starting out would have to get acclimated towards plyometrics first before deep diving into test around plyometrics. This point is also related towards age differences between athletes. Older, more experienced athletes could tolerate more intense tests while the younger, novice athlete may only be able to handle three or four tests in a battery. Consider the training status of the athletes as well. A football player that has been conducting heavy resistance training with plyometrics would do well in a 1.5-mile run. Variations in genders plays a factor as well. Male athletes tend to have more upper body strength than their female counterparts, so a test revolving around upper body strength will be modified as to not throw off the results. 

    Enviromental elements have to be considered as well. Up here in the northeast weather can change from day to day. For comparisons yesterday it was 85 degrees with sunshine and today it is 70 and cloudy. Why does this matter? aerobic endurance and sprint performance is impaired when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees F and 50% humidity. If I were to schedule a test in New England, I would check the weather to ensure I am under both of those thresholds. April in New England is very different than June in New England. On the flip side during the winter, I would schedule a test in the afternoon to maximize good weather. Lastly, altitude can also influence test selection. Any altitude over 1900 (beginning of altitude alterations) feet aerobic tests should be adjusted for the impairment for the altitude. Now, this only applies to aerobic training. Power and sprint training are not altered by higher elevations. If at all possible, give athletes 10 days to acclimate to the altitude before conducting an aerobic test.