Assessments:

Informed consent is important when doing any sort of research on humans. It is ethical to explain what the subject is going to be doing, and allow them to back out if they become uncomfortable at anytime. Par-Q’s are health related questions that are used to assess if the subject is ready to participate in an exercise based lab safely. The resting heart rate can be used generally to see where a subject may stand in their fitness. If a resting heart rate is too high, then they should not participate in the fitness testing and consult a physician. Taking blood pressure serves a similar purpose to resting heart rate. It gives a general range of typical blood pressure before and during exercise. If that range is too high or low it can predict cardiovascular issues can the subject should not be tested. Finally, BMI is calculated by height and weight in a subject. Since BMI does not take into account muscle mass, it may be unreliable. Height and weight however can generally give a researcher an idea of the type of subject they are using.

Aerobic fitness is using large muscle groups for a long to short period of time, and can be tested to see functional capacities of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, muscles and blood. It is important to test aerobic fitness to evaluate the functioning of vital parts of the body as mentioned above. The mCAFT is a step test known as The Modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test that is used to determine an overall aerobic fitness score by using oxygen (O₂) cost, body mass, and age. Before doing a mCAFT test, the subject must fill out a data collection form and calculate the subjects resting heart rate and ceiling heart rate. The subject can then begin the test with the first level, following the music until it stops, then remain still and take heart rate right away. If heart rate is equal to or higher than the calculated ceiling heart rate, the subject may not continue. Continue this process for all levels. After the testing, find the O₂ cost from the table provided and use that to calculate the aerobic fitness score. Then using that score, find the health benefit zone that the subject falls into. This test is not used for people with heart conditions, knee and joint injuries, or elderly population. This test also is not ideal for highly fit clients as it only tests for overall health benefits. Another aerobic test that can be used in replace of the mCAFT is a 1.5 mile run test or 1 mile walk test.

Bioelectrical impedance is an easy to use estimation of body fat that is measured with a small electrical current. Hydrostatic weighing is a more expensive measure where the weight of the body is measured in and out of water and calculated by using the density of water. BMI is measured by dividing the subjects weight in kg by height in m². BMI is a simple way to assess weight compared to height to get a generalized idea of their body composition. BMI can however, create a false negative by increasing weight that may be muscle mass, so it is important to use BMI as just base information. Skin folds are overall an accurate measurement of percent body fat or body composition that can be determined by the SOSS. Skin folds can be taken on different sites of the body and using a caliper the researcher pinches the skin and measures the dispersion of fat in mm. Finally, a waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio, is a great predictor or indicator of health risks like heart disease. Using a measuring tape in cm or inches, the waist is measured above the navel and hips are measured around the buttocks.

Musculoskeletal fitness is important for overall health and quality of life and can be divided into muscular endurance, muscular strength and muscular power. Muscular endurance is the ability of muscles or muscle groups to contract continuously over time. Testing muscular endurance is cheap and simple, using tests such as the push-up and partial curl-up test; push-up test assesses upper body whereas the partial curl-up test assesses abdominal muscular endurance. Protocols for the push-up test includes setting up the subject with arms approximately shoulder width apart, and counting how many proper-formed push-ups the subject can achieve in one minute. During the partial curl-up test the subject must lay with their back on the floor with their knees bent and lift their shoulders at least two inches off the ground as many times as possible for one minute. Muscular strength is the maximal force a muscle or muscle group can perform, and an example of testing upper body strength is by the grip strength test. The subject grips the handgrip dynamometer as hard as possible with both right and left hands. Muscular power, or the explosiveness of a muscle, can be tested by a vertical jump test. The subject performs a two-foot jump reaching as far up on the apparatus as possible.

VO₂ Max testing is considered to be one of the best measures of cardiovascular fitness. A direct VO₂ Max test measures an individual’s rate of oxygen consumption, and specifically measures the maximum of oxygen an individual can consume and utilize during exercise. During a direct VO₂ Max test, individuals run at a specific speed and incline, while respiratory and expiration levels are measured. Understanding your true VO₂ Max is extremely beneficial in the design of exercise programs, as VO₂ Max correlates directly with cardiovascular performance.