The Combined Elevation Test (CET) in Adolescent School Children: A Pilot Study.

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Musculoskeletal Screening
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• The Combined Elevation Test (CET) is a common musculoskeletal screening technique (MST) used in sports.
• The CET simulates the streamline position crucial for swimming performance.
• Existing research lacks normative data for the CET in adolescent populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a comprehensive normative dataset for the Combined Elevation Test (CET) in adolescents.
• To investigate the impact of demographic and anthropometric factors on CET scores.
• To provide a reference for clinicians and coaches utilizing the CET.

Main Methods:

• Collected data from 416 participants aged 8–18 years.
• Utilized statistical analysis, including correlation and regression, to evaluate variables.
• Assessed the relationship between age, arm span, and CET scores.

Main Results:

• Significant correlations were found between CET scores and both arm span (r = 0.478, p = 0.000) and age (r = 0.238, p = 0.000).
• Regression analysis indicated that arm span accounted for 23.1% of the variability in CET scores.
• Age explained an additional 5.3% of the variability in CET scores.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first large-scale normative data for the CET in adolescents.
• Arm span and age are significant predictors of CET performance in this age group.
• The findings offer valuable benchmarks for interpreting CET results in young athletes.