EVALUATION OF A SUBMAXIMAL TEST FOR ESTIMATING PHYSICAL WORK CAPACITY

Abstract

The reliability and validity of the Bruce Physical Fitness Index as a means of evaluating the physical fitness of athletes and normal healthy non-athletes are evaluated experimentally. The Index does not correlate well with performance in cross-country running, and is less sensitive to changes in cardio-respiratory fitness than is oxygen consumption alone. Large individual variations are found on test-retest of normal subjects. Participants in different sports show differences which are too great to permit of their being grouped together as ‘ athletes ’. Possible reasons for the failure of the Index to be more discriminatory are discussed