Sports fitness test is a general term for any procedure designed to measure the physical fitness of athletes under various forms of duress. Depending on the sport in question, this form of testing can include a wide variety of specific methods. For some sports, fitness testing commonly includes measurement of an athlete's maximum breathing capacity, also called aerobic capacity.
Sports Fitness Testing
Coaches use sports fitness tests to measure an athlete's performance and identify potential weaknesses, as well as areas of strength or superiority. Without these tests, coaches and athletes have a diminished capacity to identify these areas and form appropriate follow-up training programs. Additional benefits of accurate fitness testing include the establishment of highly specific workout goals, reduction of the time devoted to unhelpful training, increases in athlete motivation and the establishment of feedback procedures that can tell coaches and athletes whether a certain fitness objective has been reached.
Aerobic Capacity
Aerobic capacity is a measurement of your ability to breathe in oxygen and use it for energy during aerobic activities. During sports fitness testing, coaches and testing specialists commonly use the term VO2 Max to refer to this capacity. The greatest influence on your VO2 Max is your genetic inheritance, and different individuals can have levels of inherited maximum capacity that vary as much as 300 percent. Additional influences on your capacity include your age, gender, percentage of lean body tissue, and general level of physical fitness and training. When you improve your VO2 Max, you can improve your ability to run faster and/or for longer periods of time.
Testing Methods
Testing specialists, doctors and coaches can measure your VO2 Max with a variety of procedures. The most accurate results typically come from treadmill tests performed under strict conditions in an exercise physiology laboratory. Less accurate forms of treadmill testing conducted in a fitness club or doctor's office can estimate your VO2 Max within roughly 10 percent to 20 percent of your true capacity. Additional forms of testing include procedures performed on stationary bikes and steps; however, these types of tests may not provide accurate aerobic results for all types of athletes.
Considerations
Athletes who commonly undergo VO2 Max sports fitness testing include triathletes, distance runners, cyclers, rowers and cross-country skiers. Since this procedure produces high levels of body stress, it is not typically performed on recreational athletes or any other individuals who have injuries, low levels of physical fitness or known health significant health conditions. Because of differences in testing procedures, VO2 Max results for a single individual can vary somewhat according to the specific technique in use.
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