Exercise Physiology

Field Tests and Easy Functional Trials

 Field tests
Advantages
- practical, inexpensive, less-time consuming, easy to
administer to large groups (school)

Disadvantages:
- have been already discussed

Based on:
- walking, running, cycling, swimming, bench stepping, knee-bending

- measurement of time, distance and mainly HR

 Heart rate
- belongs to main cardiovascular fitness parameters
- exercise causes increase, after exercise - decrease
- HRrest – measurement in the morning after waking up -
before getting up

HRrest × HRexercise × HRpostex.

HRmax – generally decrease in trained or no change

HRrest – 70 beats/min (average)

↑ 90 beats/min (tachycardia)
↓ 60 beats/min (bradycardia)
 Heart rate
- Measurement

- by tough of artery on wrist, neck, etc. (easy but inaccurate)

- EKG very accurate but unpractical in sport

- Monitor of heart rate – based on distance between R-R

(chest belt – transmitter and watch - receiver )
 Easy functional trails
Monitoring of HR (rest, exercise, post-exercise)

Problem: reliability (lots of different designs)

There are many functional trails

For example:
a] Ruffier trial
b] Step-test
 Ruffier test
1] monitoring of resting HR – real HRrest !!! [HR1]

2] 30 knee-bends in 30 seconds

3] sitting down and immediate monitoring of HR [HR2]

4] monitoring of HR 1 minute after exercise [HR3]

(HR1+HR2+HR3) -200
Fitness index =
10
 Ruffier test
Evaluation
Index of fitness Level of fitness
<0 excellent
0.1 – 5 good
5.1 – 10 average
10.1 – 15 under average
> 15.1 poor

Test is not suitable for elderly and persons with

illnesses of lower limbs and joints.
 Step-test
Based on decrease of pos-exercises HR

Many of modification: Astrand-Ryhming step test protocol,

Queen’s College step test protocol, Chester’s step test protocol

We need:
- bench (chair)
- stop-watch
- metronome (time keeper)
- monitor of HR
 Chester’s step-test protocol
1] bench: 50 cm ♂, 40 ♀, 30 children

2] duration: 5 minutes if possible

3] frequency: 30 steps/min

4] movement: exchange of legs on the top of bench

5] immediate sitting down after termination of exercise
6] monitoring HR in recovery:
- 1 min (HR1), 2 min (HR2), 3 min (HR3) after exercise
 Chester’s step-test protocol
duration of exercise (s)*100
Fitness index =
(HR1+HR2+HR3)*2

Evaluation
Index of fitness Level of fitness
< 90 poor
90 – 110 average
> 110 good
Field tests
 Walking test
Based on achievement (duration) and reaction of HR

We need:
- stop-watch
- monitor of HR
- flat and direct path

The task is:

To walk as fast as possible 2 km long way, but NO RUN!
(It should takes 12 – 16 min)
 Walking test
Measurement: - duration in min (45 s = 0.75 min)
- HR in finish (immediately)

Calculation of: - age

- BMI

weight (kg)
BMI (body mass index) =
height2 (m)

below weight = < 20 (♀ 19)

normal = 20 – 25 (♀ 19 – 24)
above weight = 25 – 30 (♀ 24 – 29)
obesity = > 30 (♀ 29)
 Walking test (fitness index)
male = 434-(duration-11.6)-(HR*0.56)-(BMI*2.6)+(age*0.2)

female = 431-(duration-11.6)-(HR*0.56)-(BMI*2.6)+(age*0.2)

Evaluation
Index of fitness Level of fitness
< 70 poor
71 - 89 under average
90 – 110 average
111 – 130 good
> 131 excellent
 Walking test
Estimation of VO2max

VO2max =
132.85-(0.016*weight)-(0.39*age)+(6.32*G)-(3.26*duration)-(0,16*HR)

kg years gender minutes

♂=1
♀=0

The test is suitable for almost everyone, mainly for

old persons.
The test is not suitable for very well trained.
 Shuttle ran test (Leger’s test)
Purpose:
To estimate the maximum aerobic power.

We need:
- recorder with tape with pacing sounds on it
- stop-watch
- clear area with two parallel lines (20 m spacing)

The task is:

On the signal from tape to move from behind of one line behind
the second line and back as long as possible
 Shuttle ran test (Leger’s test)

Speed - start: 7.5 km/hour

Increase of pace: 0.5 km/hour for one minute

Termination: 1] feelings of inability to continue
2] inability to reach the line two times in
sequence
20 m
 Shuttle ran test (Leger’s test)
Evaluation:
poor average good age
< 5:30 > 7:30 10

< 7:30 > 9:00 14

< 8:30 > 10:30 20

< 7:00 > 8:00 30

< 5:00 > 7:30 40

problem: sliding – shoe sole

 Cooper test
12 minutes run test on 400-meter track

The task is:

To run as far as possible

The test is based on positive correlation between

the run distance and VO2max

Estimation of VO2max

VO2max = 22.36 * (km) – 11,29

 Cooper test
The test is suitable for healthy and better trained

Highly dependent on motivation!!!