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Novel strength test battery to permit evidence-based paralympic classification.
Emma M Beckman1, Peter Newcombe, Yves Vanlandewijck
1From the School of Human Movement Studies (EMB, MJC, SMT); School of Psychology (PN), University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences, Catholic University Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (YV).
This study introduces a new battery of ratio-scale isometric strength tests for Paralympic athletics classification. The findings support its use in developing evidence-based classification systems.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Paralympic Athletics
Background:
- Current ordinal-scale strength assessments in Paralympic athletics hinder evidence-based classification.
- There is a need for objective, ratio-scale measures to improve classification systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a battery of 7 ratio-scale isometric strength tests.
- To establish sex-specific performance ranges and assess test-retest reliability.
- To examine the relationship between strength measures and body mass.
Main Methods:
- 118 athletes (63 male, 55 female) completed a battery of 7 isometric strength tests.
- Test-retest reliability was assessed in 17 participants.
- Pearson correlations and allometric exponents were used to analyze the body mass-strength relationship.
Main Results:
- Acceptable test-retest reliability was found (mean ICC = 0.85).
- Eight strength measures showed moderate significant correlations with body size (r = 0.30-0.61).
- Allometric exponents for the strength-body mass relationship were higher in males (0.99) than females (0.30).
Conclusions:
- The evaluated isometric strength test battery possesses psychometric properties suitable for evidence-based Paralympic classification.
- The interrelation of measures with body size suggests further research on normalization is needed for valid application in classification.
