Chapter 7

Physical Education

Test and Measurement in Sports

Motor Fitness Test-AAHPER
The AAHPER (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation) youth
fitness test was formed in 1965 in the United States, but this was revised in 1976. Now dance
(AAHPERD) is also added. This test was administered on school students of 17 years age.
The students are advised to warm up before they participate in the test. All the students must
be medically fit.
This test has the following six items

1. (a) Pull-Ups (For Boys)

Purpose: To measure arm and shoulder strength.

Procedure: The bar is adjusted according to the height of the boy. The bar is held
with palms facing away. He is then asked to raise his body so that the chin reaches the
level of the bar. One score is awarded for each pull-up. One trial is given before the
start of the test.

(b) Flexed Arm Flang (For Girls)

Purpose: To measure arm and shoulder strength.

Procedure: The bar is adjusted according to the standing height of the girl. The bar is
held with over hand grasp. The girl lifts her body up with the assistance of testing
personnel so that her chin reaches the bar level. The time in seconds she holds the bar
is taken as her score.

2. Flexed Leg Sit-ups

Purpose: To measure abdominal strength and endurance.

Procedure: The youth is asked to lie on the floor on his/ her back keeping knees bent.
The angle of knees should be around 90°. The feet are held by a partner,’ the youth’
puts hands behind the head with fingers interlocked. Then the youth curls up and
touches the elbows to knees. The score is counted as maximum number of sit-ups in
60sec.
3. Shuttle Run

Purpose: To measure speed and agility.

Procedure: Two parallel lines are marked 30 feet apart and two wooden-blocks 2 x 2
x 4 inches are kept on one side of a marked line. The youth stands behind the line
opposite to the line where wooden blocks are placed. At the start signal, the youth runs
towards the wooden blocks and picks up one of them, carrying it back to the line from
where the test started. Then places it behind the line, runs back, picks up the second
block and carries back-to the starting line. Two trials are allowed and best score of the
two is noted down.

4. Standing Long Jump

Purpose: To measure power.

Procedure: The youth is asked to stand behind the restraining line with feet apart and
he/she bends the knees and swings arms before jumping. The youth lands on both feet
together. The distance from take-off line to the heel is measured in inches. The best of
three trials is recorded as the final score.

5. 50 Yard Dash

Purpose: To measure speed.

Procedure: The youth is asked to run 50 yards from the starting line and the time is
recorded nearest to one-tenths of a second.

6. 600 Yard Run-Walk

Purpose: To measure endurance.

Procedure: The youth is asked to run and/or walk for 600 yards and the time is
recorded in minutes and seconds. This can be run in an open field or the inside track of
an athletic field, by marking the distances appropriately.

Measurement of Cardiovascular Fitness

Cardiovascular fitness is the ability of the heart and lungs to supply oxygen, rich blood to the
working muscle tissues and the ability of the muscles to use oxygen to produce energy for
movements. This type of fitness is required to sustain physical activity and is essential for
performing aerobic activities.

1. Harvard Step Test

This test is also known as Aerobic Fitness test. It was developed by Brouha and others
in 1943. It is used to measure the cardiovascular fitness or aerobic fitness by checking
the recovery rate.
 Purpose; To measure the physical fitness for muscular work and the ability to recover
from the work.
Equipment Required: Bench 20 inches high, for men and 16 inches for women,
stopwatch and metronome.
Procedure: this test requires the athlete to step up and down off a gym bench for 5
minutes at a rate 30 steps/minute. Which measures the aerobic fitness test. The
distance to be covered is 1mile on normal. After the workout, timing, heart rate, has to
be measured. The athlete steps up and down onto a standard gym bench (16 inch
high)once every two seconds for five minutes (150 steps),the assistant stops the test
after 5minutes. The assistant measures the athlete’s heart rate (bpm) one minute after
finishing the test-pulse 1. The assistant measures the athlete’s heart rate (bpm) two
minute after finishing test-pulse 2. The assistant measures the athlete’s heart rate
(bpm) three minute after finishing test-pulse 3.
In the Harvard step test for cardiovascular fitness, the physical efficiency index
PEI= (duration or exercise in seconds × 100) divided by 2×sum of pulse counts in
recovery

Harvard step test fitness index score

RATING FITNESS INDEX

Excellent More than 96

Good 83 – 96

Average 68 – 82

Below average 54 – 67

Poor Less than 54

2. Rockport Test
This test also known as Rockport One Mile Test or Rockport Fitness Walking Test is
used for testing cardiovascular fitness. It requires minimal equipment. This test
consists of walking, which may be easy for middle-aged and older adults. This test
tells us about the aerobic fitness of an individual.
Equipment Required: 400m track, stopwatch and weighing scale.
Administration of Test:
1. Choose a windless day to conduct the test.
2. Record your weight in pounds (lbs)
3. Record the time to complete the one mile walk.
4. Immediately on finishing the walk record your heart rate (beats per minute)
 5. Determine your maximum cardio respiratory ability (VO2max) from the
calculation given below.

VO2 Max = 132.853 – (0.0769×weight) – (0.3877×age) + (6.315×gender) –

(3.2649×time) –(0.1565×heart rate)

Where:

1. Weight is in pounds (lbs)

2. Gender : male = 1 and female = 0
3. Time is expressed in minutes and seconds
4. Heart rate is in beats / minute
5. Age in

Rikli and Jones- Senior Citizen Fitness Test

Rikli and Jones prepared various physical fitness tests for senior citizens in 2001. Senior
citizens can’t do exhaustive workouts however fitness is very important even in old age.

These tests are designed to access the functional fitness of older adults with the help of
simple activities like getting up from a chair, walking, bending and stretching. These tests are
safe, enjoyable and meet scientific standards of reliability and validity. That is why easy tests
prepared for different body parts are given.
These are

1. Chair Stand Test for Lower Body Strength

The Chair Stand Test is similar to a squat test to measure leg strength. This test is part of the
senior fitness test protocol and is designed to test the functional fitness of seniors.

Purpose: This test assesses leg strength and endurance of senior citizens.
Equipment Required: A straight or folding chair without arm rests (seat 17 inches/
44 cm high) and stopwatch.

2. Arm Curl Test for Upper Body Strength

The Arm Curl Test is a test to measure the upper body strength of senior citizens or old
people.

Purpose: This test measures upper body strength and endurance.

Equipment required: 5 pound weight for women, 8 pound weight for men, a chair
without arm rests, stopwatch.

3. Chair Sit and Reach Test for Lower Body Flexibility

The Chair Sit and Reach Test is part of-the senior fitness test protocol, and is designed to test
the functional fitness of seniors. It is a variation of the traditional sit and reach. Flexibility
test.

Purpose: This test measures lower body. – Flexibility.

Equipment Required: Ruler, a chair with straight back or folding chair (17 inch/44
cm high).

4. Back Scratch Test for Upper Body Flexibility

The shoulder stretch is a simple flexibility test to determine if the hands can be brought
together behind the back particularly the shoulders. This test is part of the fitness programme
as an alternative to the back saver sit and reach test.

Purpose: This test measures upper arm and shoulder girdle flexibility.
Equipment Required: None.

5. Eight Foot Up and Go Test for Agility

The Eight Foot Up arid Go Test is a coordination and agility test ‘for the elderly-which is pair
of the senior fitness test protocol.

Purpose: This test measures speed, agility and balance while moving.
Equipment Required: Stopwatch, straight back or folding chair (seat 17 inches/44
height) cone, measuring tape, area clear of obstacles.

6. Six Minute Walk test for Aerobic Endurance

The Six Minute Walk Test is a part, of the senior fitness test protocol arid is designed to test
the functional fitness of seniors. It is an adaptation of the Cooper 12 – minutes run for people
who use orthopaedic devices. When walking as well as people who have difficulty in
balancing.

Purpose: This test measures aerobic fitness or aerobic endurance.

Equipment Required: Measuring tape to mark out the track distances, stopwatch arid
chairs positioned for testing.