Value of physiological measurement in sport

The value of physiological measurement in sport lies in the opportunity it provides to learn more about the responses of individuals to the demands of exercise, the particular physiological characteristics which allow some individuals to become successful at some sports, but not others, and the physiological adaptations to training which underlie improvements in human performance. In this paper, running has been used to illustrate the value of making physiological measurements on sportsmen and women because it is an activity which is common to many sports. Sports can be divided into two broad groups, namely the 'endurance sports' and, what may be called, the 'multiple sprint' sports. The focus of attention of this brief overview is the physiological measurements which provide a general description of the 'fitness' for these sports.