Abstract
Within the controversy regarding the fitness and health status of children and adolescents it is very important to use reliable and valid tools to assess their actual performance abilities. Therefore, the present study aimed at comparing three economical, non-invasive tests to assess cardio-respiratory fitness in schoolchildren. 30 pupils (age: 11-13 years) participated in this investigation. They performed one bicycle ergometry (FE; target variables: PWC170, maximal power output [Pmax]), one 20m Shuttle Run Test, a 6-minute- endurance-run and a "step test" two times. Significant correlations were found between the Shuttle Run Test and the 6-minute-run (r=0.83, p<0.01) as well as between these measures and the results of FE (r=0.63 to 0.71, p<0.01). There was a weak correlation between the step test and the Shuttle Run Test (r=0.43, p<0.05), whereas all other results did not correlate with the step test (r=-0.07 to 0.26, p>0.05). Testing for reproducibility of the step test revealed a test-retest-reliability of r=0.37 (p>0.05). The 20m Shuttle Run Test and the 6-minute-endurance-run are appropriate methods for determining cardio-respiratory fitness in school children and are therefore preferable means to use when assessing profiles of sports performance abilities.
| Translated title of the contribution | Comparison of non-invasive tests to assess cardio-respiratory fitness in school children |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | 232-236 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Deutsche Zeitschrift fur Sportmedizin |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| Publication status | Published - 2004 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Endurance capacity
- Fitness tests
- Physical education
- Sports performance profiles