Chapter 6: Test and Measurement in Sports

Testing and measurement are paramount in sports to evaluate an athlete’s physical fitness, diagnose weaknesses, and track improvement over time.

1. SAI Khelo India Fitness Test in Schools

The Khelo India National Fitness Assessment provides standardized protocols for different age groups.

Age group 5-8 yrs / Class 1-3

• BMI (Body Mass Index): Measures body composition. \( BMI = \frac{\text{Weight (kg)}}{\text{Height (m)}^2} \)
• Flamingo Balance Test: Measures static balance. The subject stands on one leg on a small beam.
• Plate Tapping Test: Measures speed and coordination of limb movement.

Age group 9-18 yrs / Class 4-12

• BMI: For body composition.
• 50m Speed Test: Measures acceleration and top speed.
• 600m Run/Walk: Measures cardiovascular endurance.
• Sit & Reach Test: Measures flexibility of the lower back and hamstring muscles.
• Strength Tests:
  • Abdominal Partial Curl Up: Measures core strength.
  • Push-Ups (Boys) / Modified Push-Ups (Girls): Measures upper body strength.

2. Measurement of Cardio-Vascular Fitness

Harvard Step Test

Developed by Brouha et al. (1943) to measure cardiovascular endurance.

• Procedure: The subject steps up and down on a bench (20 inches high for men, 16 inches for women) at a rate of 30 steps/minute for 5 minutes (or until exhaustion). Then, heartbeats are counted during recovery periods.
• Pulse Count: Taken three times post-exercise:
  • 1 to 1.5 minutes (\( P_1 \))
  • 2 to 2.5 minutes (\( P_2 \))
  • 3 to 3.5 minutes (\( P_3 \))

Computation of Fitness Index Score (Long Form): \[ \text{Fitness Index} = \frac{100 \times \text{Test Duration in Seconds}}{2 \times (P_1 + P_2 + P_3)} \]

Computation of Fitness Index Score (Short Form): \[ \text{Fitness Index} = \frac{100 \times \text{Test Duration in Seconds}}{5.5 \times (P_1)} \]

3. Rikli & Jones - Senior Citizen Fitness Test

Designed to assess the functional fitness of elderly individuals safely.

• Chair Stand Test: Measures lower body strength (standing up from a chair in 30 seconds).
• Arm Curl Test: Measures upper body strength (lifting a dumbbell).
• Chair Sit & Reach Test: Measures lower body flexibility.
• Back Scratch Test: Measures upper body flexibility.
• 8-Foot Up & Go Test: Measures agility and dynamic balance.
• 6-Minute Walk Test: Measures aerobic endurance.

4. Johnson-Metheny Test of Motor Educability

This test evaluates an individual’s innate capacity to learn new motor skills quickly.

• Originally designed by Johnson consisting of complex tumbling exercises, Metheny streamlined it into a simpler battery of tests involving staggering jumps, side rolls, backward rolls, and jumping half-turns.

Competency-Based Questions

Q1. An athlete weighing 65 kg and standing 1.75 m tall is assessing their BMI during a Khelo India fitness drive.

a) Calculate their BMI and categorize their weight class according to WHO standards.
b) If the same athlete undergoes the Harvard Step Test for exactly 300 seconds and their heart counts are \( P_1 = 90 \), \( P_2 = 80 \), and \( P_3 = 70 \), compute their Fitness Index using the Long Form formula.

Answer: a) BMI Calculation: \[ BMI = \frac{\text{Weight}}{\text{Height}^2} \] \[ BMI = \frac{65}{1.75 \times 1.75} = \frac{65}{3.0625} \approx 21.22 \text{ kg/m}^2 \] The athlete falls precisely into the Normal Weight category (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9).

b) Fitness Index (Long Form Calculation): \[ \text{Fitness Index} = \frac{100 \times \text{Test Duration in Seconds}}{2 \times (P_1 + P_2 + P_3)} \] \[ \text{Fitness Index} = \frac{100 \times 300}{2 \times (90 + 80 + 70)} \] \[ \text{Fitness Index} = \frac{30000}{2 \times 240} = \frac{30000}{480} = 62.5 \] The athlete has a Fitness Index score of 62.5, which represents average cardiovascular fitness.

Q2. During a Senior Citizen Fitness Test, a 70-year-old struggles to complete the Chair Stand Test due to localized fatigue in her legs.

a) Which specific physical component does the Chair Stand primarily measure?
b) If she later struggles to reach her toes in the Chair Sit & Reach, what component is she deficient in? What could be a physiological reason?

Answer: a) The Chair Stand test primarily measures lower body strength.
b) Struggling in the Chair Sit & Reach test indicates a deficiency in lower body flexibility (specifically the hamstring region and lower back). A primary physiological reason for this in older individuals is the loss of elasticity in muscle connective tissues (collagen) and cartilage degeneration in the lumbar spine and pelvic joints.