What is the difference between a laboratory test and a field test

Abstract There are many methods to measure the physical fitness of athletes, including tests that can be applied in the field or in the laboratory. Much of the recent research with regard to fitness of team sport players has been undertaken using laboratory testing to measure aerobic power, anaerobic power and capacity, strength and flexibility.

Field tests are an alternative method to measure the fitness of players without the expense, time and expertise required for the laboratory testing, especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to establish procedures for the application of contemporary sports science practice for Indonesian female field hockey players, including determination of the precision of field tests of the physical and performance characteristics of field hockey players in Indonesia; determination of the physical and performance characteristics of Indonesian female field hockey players; identification of the performance demands and distance covered during competitive field hockey at the national level in Indonesia; comparison of the physical and performance characteristics of national level female field hockey players in Indonesia with those of club level players in Australia; and determination of the relationships between field and laboratory tests of physiological performance capacity for field hockey.

CIRCA ! VO2MAX o The more VO2 your body can process at maximal exertion, the better- could be used to indicate your "potential" for athletic performance.

Aerobic threshold and exercise metabolic testing in the lab may be more applicable to training and racing. Caucasians T20 or T30 timed twenty or 30 minutes Proven valid by comparing to lab tests T Test Protocol Step 1 Do the swim maintaining a constant speed at maximum effort. Joe Friel: 30 minutes, take average of last 20 minutes.

Bike and Run Many options. Consistency and repeatability are key. Power-based: 10X1 minute on, 1 minute off 3X10 minutes Hill repeats Time-based Ride a standard course.

Keep track of speed, time and conditions Timed Hill repeats Questions? How frequently should testing occur? Seeing progress is motivating!

Total views 24, On Slideshare 0. From embeds 0. Number of embeds Downloads Shares 0. Comments 0. Likes You just clipped your first slide! Clipping is a handy way to collect important slides you want to go back to later. Now customize the name of a clipboard to store your clips. There are standard clinical tests administered to profile an athlete's overall fitness, but the test equipment is also used in peer reviewed or clinical studies, which are the foundation for coaching and training methodology.

The athlete may not be able to afford the cost of the test, or the time needed to schedule it. Additionally, receiving a lot of data without the understanding or application of it is fairly useless to the athlete. I have had athletes bring me stacks of charts, graphs, and numbers from their clinical test results, in which they had found little relevance or application to their training. If the test and results are not explained in detail, in terms the athlete can understand, the athlete will not receive any return on their investment in clinical testing.

The tests themselves in some cases can be a bit intimidating. Blood lactate testing requires drawing multiple blood samples, and VO2 testing requires the athlete to wear a mask that captures respiratory gasses. Not every athlete reacts well to these tests and few enjoy them. For these reasons I recommend clinical testing no more than one to two times per season, preferably after a peak. For the completely unconditioned athlete or person brand new to a sport, I advise a bit more frequency in the first season as fitness levels will change more dramatically in these individuals.

We use these clinical tests for accurate overall comparison and contrast, but what about the spaces in between? How do the athlete and coach gauge the efficacy of the training plan throughout the season?

This is where field testing comes in. Field tests will not offer the wealth of information that clinical tests deliver, but they are easy to administer, inexpensive or free , practical, and can be performed more frequently. The purpose of a field test is two-fold: to accurately gauge progress of fitness, and to establish accurate training zones. It is important to note that some protocols are used to predict clinical values.

These are just that - predictions or estimates, not actual clinical results — and should be taken at face value. The great thing about field tests is that you are using actual performance to predict performance, and if executed correctly, field tests can give very relevant and useful information to the athlete.

Formula-based training zones ex. Field testing generally uses a percentage of the tested value, not an age based formula, to created heart rate training zones. Training zones are moving targets that can fluctuate throughout the season as well as year to year as the athlete ages or becomes more fit.

You may find that there are a number of running field test protocols and training zone systems created from the results. Max heart rate tests are not desirable due to difficulty in achieving this number and the stress on the athlete , but also owed to the fact that max heart rate is not a trainable number.

Some zone systems use as little as four zones, while others use as many as seven. This can be readily performed on a treadmill by increasing speed, incline, or both. A time-trial test calls for the athlete to run as fast as they can for a prescribed time period, and of course a distance test gauges how long it takes to complete a particular distance. My preference is towards time trial tests in which the athlete runs a particular time period, and average heart rate, distance, and perceived exertion are recorded.