Report
Field based testing of wheelchair athletes
In line with the able-bodied literature, it is recognised that performance in wheelchair sports not only rely on fitness, but also sport-specific skills, experience and technical proficiency.
- Lead academic:
- Professor Vicky Tolfrey
- Additional academics:
- Dr Christof Leicht
- Funder:
- The Peter Harrison Foundation
The volume of literature on field-based physiological testing of wheelchair sports, such as Basketball, Rugby and Tennis, is considerably smaller when compared with that available for individual and team athletes in able-bodied sports.
In contrast to able-bodied sports, two major components contribute towards ‘wheeled sports’ performance; the athlete, and the wheelchair. It is the interaction of these two that enable wheelchair propulsion and the sporting movements required within a given sport.
Like any other athlete, participants of wheelchair sports are looking for efficient ways to train and/or analyse their technique and fitness to improve their performance. Consequently, laboratory and/or field-based physiological monitoring tools used at regular intervals, at key time points throughout the year, must be considered to help with training evaluation.
Due to the limited availability of specialized equipment for testing wheelchair-dependent participants in the laboratory, the adoption of field-based testing has become the preferred option by many team coaches of wheelchair athletes.
An obvious advantage of field-based testing is that large groups of athletes can be tested in less time. Furthermore, athletes are tested in their natural environment (using their normal sports wheelchair set-up and floor surface), potentially making the results of such testing more relevant than laboratory testing.
Careful selection of tests to enable coaches to distinguish between disability classifications, wheelchair proficiency and actual performance improvements is paramount as this will not only enhance the value of field-based testing, but also help with the development of meaningful normative values.
Reference
Goosey-Tolfrey, V.L and Leicht, C.A. (2013). Field based testing of wheelchair athletes. Sports Medicine. 43(2):77-91. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-012-0009-6