Development of a Comprehensive Performance-Testing Protocol for Competitive Surfers

• DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.8.5.490
• Publication Date: 2016-08-10T12:05:04Z
• Authors: Jeremy M. Sheppard; Sophia Nimphius; Greg G. Haff; Tai T. Tran; Tania Spiteri; Hedda Brooks; Gary Slater; Robert U. Newton
• Keywords: Male; Adolescent; assessment; paddle; Pilot Projects; Assessment; Athletic Performance; 796; power; 03 medical and health sciences; 2732 Orthopedics and Sports Medicine; 0302 clinical medicine; Surfing; Humans; Muscle Strength; FoR 1111 (Nutrition and Dietetics)*; Anthropometry; Reproducibility of Results; Paddle; Athletes; Power; FoR 1106 (Human Movement and Sports Science); Strength; strength; surfing

Purpose: Appropriate and valid testing protocols for evaluating the physical performances of surfing athletes are not well refined. The purpose this project was to develop, refine, evaluate a protocol use with elite surfers, including measures anthropometry, strength power, endurance. Methods: After pilot consultation athletes, coaches, sport scientists, specific suite tests developed. Forty-four competitive junior surfers (16.2 ± 1.3 y, 166.3 7.3 cm, 57.9 8.5 kg) participated in study involving within-day repeated-measures analysis, using an group 22 international competitors (EJG), establish reliability measures. To reflect validity measures, comparison performance results then undertaken between EJG age-matched nationally (CJG). Results: Percent typical error measurement (%TEM) primary variables gained from assessments ranged 1.1% 3.0%, intraclass correlation coefficients ranging .96 .99. One-way analysis variance revealed that had lower skinfolds ( P = .005, d 0.9) than CJG, despite no difference stature .102) or body mass .827). were faster 15-m sprint-paddle velocity < .001, 1.3) higher lower-body isometric peak force .04, 0.7) superior endurance-paddling .008, 0.9). Conclusions: relatively low %TEM these population allows high sensitivity detect change. suggest competitively leaner possess strength, paddling