Fitness tests

• Body Composition
• Blood Pressure
• Resting Heart Rate (bpm)
• Cooper 1.5-mile run test
• Cooper’s 3-mile walk test
• The multistage fitness test
• Range of movement tests

Body Composition

General Body Composition (% Body fat) Categories

Blood Pressure

Systolic blood pressure:

The systolic blood pressure (SBP) is the pressure exerted on the artery walls, “when the cardiac muscle is contracting (ventricular systole) and pumping blood. This is the higher of the two numbers, and is usually noted first. The increased volume of blood flowing through the arteries with each beat, therefore increasing the pressure within the arteries causes it. There is a linear increase in SBP with increasing levels of exertion approximately 8-12mmHg per MET (metabolic equivalent). It is also increased in the short and long term by a number of factors.

Diastolic blood pressure:

The diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is the pressure exerted on the artery walls, when the heart is in a relaxed state. The heart goes through this period of relaxation, or diastole, to allow the chambers of the heart to fill with blood prior to contraction. “The DBP is the running or ‘remaining’ pressure between beats” and is always smaller than the SBP. During exertion DBP may decrease slightly, due to vasodilation, or will remain unchanged except in hypertensives where it may rise as a result of an impaired vasodilatory response The DBP is more stable and less influenced by acute factors than SBP, although over a period of time, it will rise in accordance with chronic variables? Therefore changes in this measure are usually clinically significant in diagnosing contraindications to exercise, such as hypertension.

Optimal blood pressure:

The ACSM define optimal blood pressure, with respect to cardiovascular risk, as being below ·120 mmHg for systolic and 80 mmHg for diastolic pressure. It should be noted that unusually low readings could be of some clinical significance.

Factors that increase blood pressure

Classification of Blood Pressure (mmHg) for Adults (18+)*

Resting Heart Rate (bpm)

Bradycardia

A RHR of less than 60 bpm is called bradycardia. Causes include:

• Well-conditioned athletes
• Hypothermia (low body temperature)
• Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function)
• Hyperkalaemia (level of potassium in the bloodstream is higher than normal)
• Myocardial infarction (damage or death of heart tissue)
• Genetics
• Certain drugs (beta blockers)

Tachycardia

A RHR of greater than 100 bpm is called tachycardia. Causes include:

• Exposure to alcohol, caffeine, or nicotine
• Stress, anxiety or arousal
• Heart failure
• Pulmonary embolism
• Hypovolaemia (abnormal decrease in blood volume/blood plasma).
• Hypermetabolic states (such as fever or a raised body temp)
• Certain drugs (adrenaline, ephedrine, atropine)
• Poor cardiovascular fitness levels

Cooper 1.5-mile run test

Cooper 1.5-mile run test:

Aerobic fitness can be assessed using the 1.5-mile run test first described by Cooper in 1968. The test can provide a valid measure of aerobic capacity, but it requires pacing and a sustained, near-maximal effort. For these reasons, at least six weeks’ aerobic training (preferably running) is recommended before attempting the test after warming-up, participants should be instructed to complete the 1.5-mile distance as fast as possible. Time is recorded to the nearest second, and a gradual cool-down should follow the test Interpret test performance using the tables on the following pages. If the Cooper 1.5-mile run test is performed on a treadmill, the incline should be set at 1 % to replicate the energy cost of running outdoors (Jones and Doust, 1996).

Cooper’s 3-mile walk test

For many individuals, Cooper’s 3-mile walk test provides an indication of aerobic fitness without requiring a maximal effort As a result, the test is suitable for healthy males and females aged 13-70 years who have been actively walking for at least six weeks (Cooper and Storer, 2001). If the course is accurately measured, the test can be performed indoors or outdoors. Participants should be instructed to walk 3 miles as fast as possible without running. Time to completion can be used to assess aerobic fitness

The multistage fitness test

Leger and Lambert (1982) first developed a 20-metre shuttle run for the prediction of V02 max. The ‘bleep test’ is now recognized as one of the most popular and valid tests of aerobic fitness in individuals or groups. The test should be performed on a dry, firm and flat surface with sufficient space for the 20-metre course and sufficient space for deceleration at each end (around 5-10 metres). During the test, participants move between markers whilst the bleep intervals become progressively shorter.

Range of movement tests

• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps
• Lliospoas
• Adductors
• Pectoralis major and Latissimus Dorsi
• Soleus and gastrocnemius