How Can Athletic Performance Testing Help You Meet Your Goals?
Are you training properly to maximize sports performance and health? Ready to return to sport at your prior level of performance after injury? Have you considered what your native injury risk level might be? These are questions that can all be answered by proper athletic performance testing. Using specific screening, assessment and testing protocols, it is possible to develop a personal movement and performance profile, while using the findings to design the most effective training and rehab plan to meet your needs and performance goals.
Step 1: Build a Movement Profile
All athletes have strengths and weakness, imbalances and preferential movement patterns. The better you understand your body, the more efficiently you can train it to perform at its best, while minimizing injury risk and optimizing recovery. Unquestionably, some athletes lack adequate mobility and flexibility, while others have instability issues. The body is an integrated chain of different joints that work together to perform desired movements. Assessing integrated movement and identifying problem areas is the foundation for building an individualized exercise program.
Based on the assessment, you will develop a specific movement prep routine that may consist of:
- Corrective exercises
- Soft tissue mobilization
- Joint mobility drills
- Dynamic warm-up
- Static stretching
Step 2: Identify Asymmetries
One of the biggest risk factors for injury or re-injury are asymmetrical findings on the left or right side as it pertains to movement, balance, strength, power and impact loading. We utilize various assessment tools to uncover these imbalances which include:
- Functional Movement Screen (FMS)
- Lower Quarter Y-Balance Testing
- Hand Held Dynamometry
- VALD Performance force plates
- Hop testing and jump landing
- Video analysis of running form
- Agility and reactivity testing
Step 3: Customized Program Design
After gathering all the testing data and assessing movement and imbalances, it becomes easier to choose the training priorities and build out the trajectory of the rehab and/or training plan. Exercise is not a one-size fits all approach. Testing provides clarity on whether a person is on track, ahead or behind schedule with respect to rehab and performance milestones. In addition, you can design specific strength, speed and power goals and re-assess these goals periodically. Common performance measures we look at include:
- Limb symmetry index
- Reactive strength index
- Single leg squat depth
- Single leg balance
- Muscle strength ratios
- Vertical and horizontal jump
- Acceleration and deceleration
- Drop landing ground reaction force
- Mental readiness for return to sport
In conclusion, assessing is always better than guessing. Building a baseline assessment with select testing is the best way to determine the right blueprint for optimal athletic performance and injury prevention. Future testing can then be used to assess improvements and the efficacy of the rehab and training program.
We offer individual and team testing options. Contact us for more information about testing for injury prevention awareness, return to sport readiness or to build the proper training program allowing you to become your physical best.