Assessments
Sport Performance
Ruffier Dickson Test
Ruffier Dickson’s is used to test an athlete’s recovery and to analyse how training can improve their physical condition (if shown as being necessary).
Cooper Test
Cooper’s test consists of measuring how far a person can run (after warm-up) in 12 minutes. To accurately measure this distance, the test is ideally performed on an athletic track.
This test helps to determine your maximal aerobic velocity (MAV) and the maximum oxygen quantity (VO2 max) your body uses during exercise. Your body uses the oxygen you breathe and transfers it to your muscles. The more VO2 Max’s capacity, the more your muscles will be able to use this energy to maintain an effort. The value of this data is expressed in millilitres of oxygen used per minute and per kilogram of body weight (ml/min/kg).
Half-Cooper Test
The Half-Cooper test measures how far an athlete can run in 6 minutes (after warm-up). This test allows to estimate more precisely your MAV because it corresponds to the MAV’ support’s average time (between 4 and 8 minutes).
FCM
Maximum heart rate (FCM) is more an estimation than a real value. It is, however, a fundamental measurement for modern athletes because it allows them to know the intensity of their efforts.
Weight Control
BMI
BMI, Body Mass Index, enables the estimation of a person’s body mass, bodybuilder excepted. This index is calculated according to size and mass.
Deurenberg Formula
Our bodies contain a certain quantity of fat. In women, it is between 25 and 30% and in men between 15 and 20%. The Deurenberg formula allows estimating fat mass index (IMG) in the human body, taking into account BMI, age and sex.
This formula does not apply itself to every person. Indeed, it is not valid for children under 15, adults over 50, pregnant or breastfeeding women, bodybuilders, high level endurance athletes, people who have suffered an amputation or people who are considered unusually tall or short.
Broca Formula
This formula is used to evaluate an adults’ normal weight. Taking into account an approximate margin of 10%, standard weight in kilo corresponds to the body’ size minus 100.
Lorentz Formula
This formula sets the ideal weight in kilos taking into account size, sex and age.
RTH
RTH, or Size Hip Ratio, is the ratio of the perimeter of the belt at the hips.
Skinfold test
This method of testing an athlete allows the measuring of their body fat, especially in weight sports, and to follow their progress.
The skinfold test consists of pinching the abdominal area to use as a measurement. This method is practiced with skinfold pliers and requires extensive experience. However, it is currently the easiest and most reliable technique to implement. Regular measurements are sufficient to assess exactly the change in body fat.
- Less than 10 millimetres: normal
- 15 to 30 millimetres: overweight
- Beyond 30 millimetres: obesity
Impedance meters
Impedance meters are balances that measure the exact percentage of fat in your body. This test can be useful when you are dieting or trying to gain mass.
As fat is more resistant to electric current than other types of tissue, the impedance meter, by sending a very low intensity electric current through the body, can evaluate your body’s fat and then calculate a percentage in relation to your weight. Ideal fat percentages vary according to sex and age:
- Men: 10 to 25% body fat,
- Women: 20 to 35% body fat.
This type of procedure is not recommended and is not accurate for pregnant women or people with pacemakers.
Waist Size
Following the results of an international study “IDEA” (International Day for the Evaluation of Abdominal Obesity) presented on March 14, 2006 in Atlanta – measuring waist circumference of 168,159 patients in 63 countries (USA excluded) – waist size can be the most accurate measurement for predicting the risk of cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes’ than your age or body mass index (BMI)!
According to the Research Chair in Obesity at Laval University, abdominal overweight comes when waist circumference exceeds 32 po in women and 37 po in men. On the other hand, abdominal obesity is associated with a waist circumference 34.6 po in women or 40 po in men. Health risks are very high: type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia (fat presence in the blood) and cardiovascular disorders.