SCS Assessment & Performance Testing 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which field test provides the best estimate of maximal aerobic speed (MAS) for team sport athletes?
- 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test (Correct answer)
- Cooper 12-minute run
- Harvard Step Test
- Rockport Walk Test
Correct answer: 30-15 Intermittent Fitness Test
The 30-15IFT (Buchheit) is specifically designed for intermittent sport athletes and directly identifies the velocity at VO2max for training prescription.
Question 2: When using the NBA/NFL combine 3-cone drill, what primary quality is being assessed?
- Change of direction speed and agility (Correct answer)
- Linear sprint acceleration
- Aerobic capacity
- Lower body power
Correct answer: Change of direction speed and agility
The 3-cone (L-drill) tests an athlete's ability to change direction at high speed while maintaining body control around a set course.
Question 3: An athlete's blood lactate reaches 4 mmol/L during a graded exercise test. What physiological threshold does this value traditionally represent?
- Onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) (Correct answer)
- Lactate minimum
- Aerobic threshold
- Critical power
Correct answer: Onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA)
OBLA is conventionally defined as the exercise intensity at which blood lactate concentration reaches 4 mmol/L.
Question 4: Which of the following correctly describes the principle of specificity as it applies to performance testing?
- Tests should replicate the energy systems and movement patterns of the target sport (Correct answer)
- Tests must use maximal effort regardless of sport demands
- All athletes in a program should complete identical assessments
- Testing should always occur in a laboratory setting for accuracy
Correct answer: Tests should replicate the energy systems and movement patterns of the target sport
Specificity requires that assessment tools mirror the physiological demands, movement patterns, and energy system contributions relevant to the athlete's sport.
Question 5: What is the standard protocol for measuring resting heart rate to ensure accuracy?
- Supine for 5 minutes, measure upon waking before rising (Correct answer)
- Standing for 2 minutes after light activity
- Seated immediately after arriving at the testing facility
- After 10 minutes of seated rest mid-morning
Correct answer: Supine for 5 minutes, measure upon waking before rising
Resting heart rate is most accurately measured in the morning before rising from bed after at least 5 minutes of supine rest.
Question 6: A broad jump test result of 2.3 m is recorded. Which variable does this assessment primarily quantify?
- Horizontal explosive power (Correct answer)
- Vertical explosive power
- Reactive strength
- Muscular endurance
Correct answer: Horizontal explosive power
The standing broad (long) jump measures horizontal ground reaction force and the ability to project the body forward explosively.
Question 7: Which skinfold site is included in both the 3-site Jackson-Pollock formula for men and the 7-site formula?
- Chest (Correct answer)
- Abdomen
- Thigh
- Suprailiac
Correct answer: Chest
The chest skinfold site appears in both the 3-site (chest, abdomen, thigh) and 7-site Jackson-Pollock male body composition equations.
SCS Assessment & Performance Testing 3
Which field test provides the best estimate of maximal aerobic speed (MAS) for team sport athletes?