(this is an extract from the Fitness Testing Guide)
Performance in any sporting event is the result of a multitude of factors, which include the amount of training performed, the body's adaptation to the training, motivation level, nutritional status and weather conditions to name a few. As you can see, physiological parameters only account for a portion of any performance, and so the role of any exercise physiologist is also similarly limited.
Through fitness testing, the factors involving physiological processes, over which there is some control, can be measured and ultimately improved upon.
Competition is the ultimate test of performance capability, and is therefore the best indication of training success. However, when trying to maximize performance, it is important to determine the athlete's ability in individual aspects of performance. Fitness testing attempts to measure individual components of performance, with the ultimate aim of studying and maximizing the athlete's ability in each component.
Fitness Testing Guide
Download your free copy of the Topend Sports' Fitness Testing Guide — a guide for you to plan, conduct, analyze and interpret fitness testing of athletes.
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