Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes - Hardcover

Australian Institute Of Sport

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0736097112 ISBN 13: 9780736097116

Publisher: Human Kinetics, 2012

Synopsis

Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes, Second Edition, presents the most current protocols used for assessing high-level athletes. Based on the insight and experience of sport scientists who work closely with elite athletes to optimize sporting success, this comprehensive guide offers the how and why of both general and sport-specific physiological testing procedures. Readers will learn to use these tests to identify the strengths and weaknesses of athletes, monitor progress, provide feedback, and enhance performance their athletes’ potential.

Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes, Second Edition, guides readers in ensuring precision and reliability of testing procedures in the field or lab; correctly preparing athletes before testing; and accurately collecting, handling, and analyzing data. It leads readers through general testing concepts and athlete monitoring tools for determining anaerobic capacity, neuromuscular power, blood lactate thresholds, and VO2max. It also presents principles and protocols for common lab- and field-based assessments of body composition, agility, strength and power, and perceptual and decision-making capabilities. Reproducible forms throughout the book assist readers with data collection and preparticipation screening.

After reviewing general protocols, this unique text takes a sport-specific look at the most effective tests and their applications in enhancing the performance of elite athletes. Protocols for 18 internationally recognized sports are introduced, and for each sport a rationale for the tests, lists of necessary equipment, and detailed testing procedures are provided. Normative data collected from athletes competing at national and international levels serve as excellent reference points for measuring elite athletes. New to the second edition are sport-specific assessments for Australian football, BMX cycling, rugby, sprint kayaking, high-performance walking, and indoor and beach volleyball.

The second edition of Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes also features other enhancements, including extensive updates to normative data and reference material as well as several new chapters. New information on data collection and handling covers approaches for analyzing data from the physiological monitoring of individual athletes and for groups of athletes in team sports. Revised chapters on environmental physiology provide current insights regarding altitude training and training in heat and humidity. Discussions of the scientific basis of various strategies for athlete recovery in both training and competition enable readers to make sound decisions in employing those strategies to help their athletes optimally recover.

For exercise physiologists, coaches, and exercise physiology students, Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes, Second Edition, is the essential guide to the most effective assessment protocols available. Using the precise and proven protocols in this authoritative resource, exercise physiologists can acquire detailed information to assist athletes’ preparation.

About this title

About the Author:

The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is the High Performance Division of the Australian Sports Commission and Australia’s premier sport training institute. The AIS has gained an international reputation as a best-practice model for high-performance athlete development delivering outstanding results through a combination of skilled coaches, world-class facilities, and cutting-edge sport science and sports medicine services. The institute offers 36 sport programs in 26 sports, with hundreds of scholarships offered annually to Australia’s finest athletes.

The headquarters of the AIS is located in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. AIS programs are also located throughout Australia in Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney as well as in Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Review:

"This is a welcome upgrade of the first edition, by authors who are leaders in their field of study. It has current references that support the authors' claims about exercise testing and their expertise contributes immensely to the understanding of the material. Added chapters and subsections in this edition help to address questions left unanswered by the first edition. It is a must have for any scientist engaging in exercise testing of elite-level athletes."

--Doody's Book Review (5-star review)

About this edition

• Publisher: Human Kinetics
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0736097112
• ISBN 13: 9780736097116
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 560
• Editor: Tanner Rebecca, Gore Christopher