Performance diagnostics

Performance diagnostics

This chapter provides an overview of individual athlete performance diagnostics. The primary aim of testing is to obtain information that assists the coach in creating an individual plan for each athlete. It is, of course, true that testing an athlete can help to motivate both athlete and practitioner or support the efficacy of a particular training method, but these outcomes should be considered secondary to the primary aim of gaining information that informs the practitioner’s training programme design. The reliability of a measure can be viewed simply as the amount of variation that occurs from one test occasion to another. Practitioners should also consider whether the quality that a test measures is related to performance in the sport with which they work, and whether the test is sufficiently sensitive to change. Typical error is determined by taking repeated measures using the same subjects, under the same conditions, within a time period where training, fatigue or other related factors are controlled.