Performance diagnostics
The performance diagnostics in the sports sector includes inspect and test methods that provide information about the current state of health, the resilience and the performance level of an athlete give. On the one hand, it provides initial data for a personal training design and, on the other hand, enables optimal monitoring and control of the training process as a training-accompanying measure. It thus has an essential function for the tailoring of the individual training plan .
Fields of application
For prospective sports students, almost all educational institutions require that they pass an aptitude test and medical examinations for admission to sports studies, which are intended to minimize health risks and ensure a successful degree.
For health reasons, it is also recommended that children and adolescents who want to join a club or a special training group have a prior performance diagnosis. In school sports , the discovery of specific weaknesses can be a trigger and an occasion for more detailed special tests in order to prevent damage and to be able to monitor meaningful participation in sports lessons. Before deciding on a physically demanding individual sport such as mountaineering , rock climbing or paragliding , a preliminary performance diagnosis is left to the initiative and the individual's sense of responsibility.
Performance diagnostics in the endurance area
Basics of the test procedures
Performance diagnostics include some of the health-related data, such as B. EKG and exercise EKG , blood pressure behavior at rest, exercise and recovery and lung function diagnostics . In addition, performance diagnostics determine values according to which recommendations for training can be drawn up. This can be done by specifying heart rate ranges or performance or speed ranges for the individual training areas / methods. In competitive sports, the training areas are usually specified as a performance range (eg "GA: 140–170 watts" ) or as a speed range.
At rest, both fats and carbohydrates (blood glucose or glycogen ) are metabolized. Glycogen is a storage form of sugar. With increasing exposure, the glycogen consumption increases, whereby lactic acid or pyruvate is formed as an intermediate product . The production of lactic acid is offset by its breakdown through oxidation and gluconeogenesis , which results in a steady state. If the maximum of long-term performance is reached, this equilibrium breaks down, and lactic acid then quickly accumulates in the blood.
A mixed metabolism of the glycolytic (breakdown of glucose to lactate ) and the oxidative system (breakdown of fatty acids, proteins and lactate or pyruvate in the citric acid cycle, end oxidation) always takes place to generate energy . As part of a performance diagnosis, it is advisable to determine the breathing gases and lactate in parallel (spiroergometry). This allows precise conclusions to be drawn about the oxygen uptake at the endurance limit and the maximum oxygen uptake to be determined and evaluated. Statements can also be made about fat metabolism and aerobic carbohydrate metabolism behavior. The additional measurement of the lactate then provides information about the level of exercise intensity at which the exercise threshold is reached and the body produces more lactate than it can consume. Based on the lactic acid concentration in the blood, the individual anaerobic threshold is determined.
The values are determined on sport-specific ergometers , since performance and training areas can only be meaningfully determined if the respective trained muscle groups can also be used in the test. A treadmill must be used for runners and running sports , and a bicycle ergometer for cyclists . There are special ergometers for other sports, e.g. B. for swimmers and rowers.
Performance diagnostics are not only suitable for ambitious (high) performance athletes . A precise performance analysis is particularly useful for patients with manifest previous illnesses (e.g. diabetes mellitus , arterial hypertension ), for whom exercise therapy is advisable. Here a lactate test, or even better, a spiroergometry (also ergospirometry) is advisable.
The determination of the individual anaerobic threshold is not only possible by lactate measurement, but also by other methods ( Conconi test , sink test , etc., see below).
Test procedure
Differentiation according to sport
- Bicycle ergometry
The power is given in watts.
With the help of bicycle ergometry, general tests on anaerobic endurance are carried out, such as the Wingate test or the Katch test, in which you have to work as quickly as possible against a greater resistance for 30-40 seconds.
- Treadmill geometry
Since the body weight has to be lifted when running, the performance is not adequately described in terms of speed. Here u. a. the "MET" number application. MET stands for metabolic equivalent . 1 MET corresponds to the consumption of 3.5 ml oxygen / min / kg body weight. The maximum MET in normal men is 12 METs, in women it is 10–11 METs. For world-class athletes, the value is twice as high.
Differentiation according to test procedure
- Lactate performance test
Based on the measured lactate concentration in the blood, the range in which the individual anaerobic threshold is located can be estimated .
The lactate performance test is carried out as a step test. Levels are defined (performance levels in chronological order, e.g. increase by 30 watts every 4 minutes), after which the lactate level in the peripheral capillary blood is determined. The graphical representation of these lactate values enables important metabolic parameters to be determined, in particular the anaerobic threshold, the balance of lactate breakdown and lactate release. These tests are carried out by sports scientists, sports physicians and z. T. also in fitness studios.
To maintain a high standard of this examination, certification by the German Society for Sports Medicine and Prevention (Deutscher Sportärztebund) eV was introduced in Germany. This guarantees that they are qualified sports doctors and that the lactate curves obtained are not only evaluated using computer programs, but also with the necessary background knowledge.
The lactate performance diagnostics test is usually carried out under laboratory conditions, on a treadmill, bicycle ergometer, rowing ergometer or other sport-specific ergometer.
Lactate performance diagnostics are useful in high-performance sports and in competitive endurance sports. Above all, sports such as running (half marathon, marathon), triathlon or cross-country skiing should be mentioned here. The usefulness of a lactate determination is fundamentally questionable today, especially in popular and health sports and with the "rigid" 2 and 4 mmol / l threshold concept.
- Conconitest
The Conconi test is also carried out in stages. This is based on a special test protocol that results in a continuous shortening of the length of the stages. The anaerobic threshold becomes clear from a kink in the heart rate / power curve downwards.
Criticism of the physiological justification of lactate performance diagnostics
→ See anaerobic threshold
Performance diagnostics in the strength sector
- Force plates
- Isokinetic muscle strength measurement
- Acceleration sensors
- Way / time knife
- Dynamometer
Performance diagnostics in the area of movement coordination
The large motor movement coordination is considered to be the fundamental psychophysical property to be able to successfully learn and practice all kinds of sport. It controls the interaction of the other movement components. Accordingly, it is of particular importance in performance diagnosis and performance prognosis. It should not be missing from any meaningful performance analysis.
Of the large number of - mostly sport-specific - tests, however, only a few meet the requirements of a scientific procedure and are accordingly objectively meaningful. The well-engineered and widely used test methods for recording movement coordination include, above all, the body coordination test for children (KTK) by Ernst J. Kiphard and Friedhelm Schilling and the Vienna coordination course (WKP) by Siegbert A. Warwitz . The motor skills test for four to six year old children (MOT 4–6) by Renate Zimmer and Meinhart Volkamer has also acquired a certain importance in the early detection of deficits in school entry age:
The “ Body Coordination Test for Children ” (KTK) covers the movement repertoire for ages between 5 and 14 years. It is particularly suitable for diagnosing psychomotor disorders and movement disorders in this age range. Its importance therefore lies primarily in the determination of special support needs.
The “ Vienna Coordination Parcours” (WKP) covers the performance spectrum of children and young people between the ages of 11 and 21 as well as the special population of female and male sports students. For the evaluation and interpretation of the test results, tables of standards were developed, which enable objective comparisons to be made in accordance with the population. The WKP is primarily used for aptitude tests for sports studies at scientific universities , for access to sports high schools and for applications for higher military and police service .
The sport-specific techniques can be tested well with the ball game skill tests. The special thing about ball games, the surprising pass or move, eludes adequate performance diagnostics, which is therefore not reliable, despite the high validity of the tests. In addition, the tests lack tables of standards relevant to comparison.
Molecular Performance Diagnostics
Molecular performance diagnostics (MLD) deals with the identification of genetically determined parameters of athletic performance as well as the influence and regulation of cellular signaling pathways through exogenous and endogenous influences that are relevant for athletic performance, with the aim of optimizing athletic performance. She uses molecular biological methods such as B. the comparison of the concentration of different types of ACTN3 molecules, which could have an influence on the predisposition to sprinters or endurance athletes.
literature
- Klaus Bös: The Vienna coordination course by Warwitz , In: Ders .: Handbook of sport motor tests , 2nd edition Göttingen 2001, pp. 361–364
- Ernst J. Kiphard, Friedhelm Schilling: Body coordination test for children (KTK). Göttingen 2007
- Siegbert Warwitz: The Vienna coordination course (WKP) , In: Ders .: The sport science experiment. Planning-implementation-evaluation-interpretation . Schorndorf (Hofmann) 1976, pp. 48-62
- Center for Psychological Information and Documentation (Ed.): Directory of test procedures: Vienna coordination course . Trier. 19th edition 2012, pp. 129-131
Web links
- Contribution by a cardiologist with animations and references
- Article on the topic of lactate performance diagnostics
- Video clip for illustration
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kurt A. Moosburger: The correct load intensity for endurance training , page 3 online (PDF; 112 kB).
- ↑ Ernst J. Kiphard, Friedhelm Schilling: Body coordination test for children (KTK). Göttingen 2007.
- ↑ Siegbert Warwitz: The Vienna coordination course (WKP) , In: Ders .: The sport-scientific experiment. Planning-implementation-evaluation-interpretation . Schorndorf (Hofmann) 1976, pp. 48-62.
- ↑ Arnd Krüger , Dieter Niedlich: 100 ball game skill tests. Schorndorf: Hofmann, 1985. ISBN 3-7780-9811-X .