Phosphate recovery test AimTo challenge the ability of the body to replenish high-energy phosphates in between each repetition of the test. This style of effort is required in sports such as Australian rules football, rugby, netball, hockey, basketball, squash and tennis. EquipmentYou will need two sets of 10 cones (numbered 1 to 10), stopwatches, whistles and score cards (see Figure 9.8). Set up the short course as shown in Figure 9.9. (For the long course, 25 metres becomes 40 metres.) The numbers on the cones must face toward the scorer.

Procedure1. Choose a partner to work with (one person performs the test, the other records the

results) and a timekeeper. Each participant should be thoroughly familiar with the procedure.

2. The performers line up at the left. After giving a 5-second warning, the timekeeper blows a whistle and starts two stopwatches. The performers sprint to the right, at maximum effort. Each performer’s score is the number of the cone (in the top right-hand section of the course) reached at the 7-second mark.

3. The performers jog to the start/finish line at the right and line up ready to sprint to the left, when the second stopwatch reaches 30 seconds. For this sprint, the cones in the bottom left-hand part of the course are used for scoring.

4. The process is repeated until the performers have sprinted eight times.

Suicide Run Test This test involves the subject performing four repeated “suicide runs” on a basketball court.

Each “suicide run” involves the subject starting at the end line of the basketball court and on the go command sprinting as fast as possible to the nearest free throw line and back, then to the half court line and back, then to the free throw line at the other end of the court and back, and finally to the far court end line and back.

The time taken to complete each “suicide run” is recorded (Note: this usually takes most subjects somewhere between 25 and 45 seconds to complete).

After the completion of each “suicide run” the subject is given a two minute recovery period before they then undertake the next “suicide run”. During this recovery period the subject should walk slowly around, not sit or lie down.

It is best to conduct the test with students working in pairs. Each pair requires a stopwatch.

One member of the pair undertakes the test, whilst the other times using the stopwatch.

It is most important that the timer accurately records the time taken to complete each of the four “suicide runs” and ensures that the performer is given a full two minute recovery period before being given the command to commence the next subsequent “suicide”.

After each partner has completed the test, students should calculate their decrement score. This is calculated by:o Firstly, adding up the times taken for each of the four trials to give the total time.o Secondly, calculating the optimal time — this is the lowest time recorded for any

one of the four trials multiplied by 4.o Finally, subtracting the optimal time from the total time to give a decrement

time: Total time - Optimal time = Decrement time.

For example if the times taken for the four trials were as follows — 32 seconds; 34 seconds; 34 seconds; and 36 seconds, theno Total time would be 32 + 34 + 34 + 36 = 136o The optimal time would be 32 x 4 = 128o The decrement time would be 136— 128 = 8 secondso The lower the decrement time the better the performance on this test.

Suicide Run Test ResultsName Time 1 Time 2 Time 3 Time 4 Total Time Optimal Time Decrement Score

Beep TestProcedureThe subject runs between two parallel lines, which are 20 metres apart. At each signal (from the CD or cassette), the subject must have reached one of the 20-metre lines. Upon hearing the signal, they reverse direction by pivoting on the line and running to the other line in time for the next signal. If the subject cannot reach within two strides of the line twice in a row, they withdraw from the test. They must remember the last level and shuttle number announced; this equates to their score.