ACSM Health Assessment 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When assessing flexibility using the sit-and-reach test, what muscle group is primarily being evaluated?
- Hip flexors and quadriceps
- Hamstrings and lower back (Correct answer)
- Gastrocnemius and soleus
- Gluteus maximus and piriformis
Correct answer: Hamstrings and lower back
The sit-and-reach test primarily measures flexibility of the hamstrings and lumbar spine (lower back extensors).
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT a component of health-related physical fitness assessed by ACSM?
- Cardiorespiratory endurance
- Muscular strength
- Agility (Correct answer)
- Body composition
Correct answer: Agility
Agility is a skill-related fitness component; ACSM's health-related fitness components are cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
Question 3: A client has a fasting blood glucose of 108 mg/dL. According to ADA criteria used by ACSM, how should this be classified?
- Normal
- Prediabetes (Impaired Fasting Glucose) (Correct answer)
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Hypoglycemia
Correct answer: Prediabetes (Impaired Fasting Glucose)
Fasting blood glucose between 100–125 mg/dL is classified as prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose) by ADA criteria recognized in ACSM guidelines.
Question 4: Which skinfold site is used in the Jackson-Pollock 3-site formula for females?
- Subscapular, midaxillary, and suprailiac
- Triceps, suprailiac, and thigh (Correct answer)
- Chest, abdomen, and thigh
- Biceps, triceps, and subscapular
Correct answer: Triceps, suprailiac, and thigh
The Jackson-Pollock 3-site formula for females uses triceps, suprailiac, and thigh skinfold measurements to estimate body density.
Question 5: During a push-up muscular endurance test, which action terminates the test according to standard protocol?
- The client completes 30 repetitions
- The client fails to maintain proper form for two consecutive repetitions
- The client's heart rate exceeds 85% of age-predicted maximum
- The client requests to stop (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The client requests to stop
The standard YMCA/ACSM push-up endurance test is terminated when the client can no longer maintain proper form or voluntarily stops.
Question 6: What is the recommended cuff size for accurate blood pressure measurement in a client with an arm circumference of 36 cm?
- Small adult cuff (12×22 cm)
- Standard adult cuff (16×30 cm)
- Large adult cuff (16×38 cm) (Correct answer)
- Thigh cuff (20×42 cm)
Correct answer: Large adult cuff (16×38 cm)
A large adult cuff is appropriate for arm circumferences of 33–47 cm; using too small a cuff artificially elevates the blood pressure reading.
Question 7: Which resting metabolic rate (RMR) estimation equation is most commonly recommended by ACSM for clinical use?
- Harris-Benedict equation
- Mifflin-St. Jeor equation (Correct answer)
- Schofield equation
- FAO/WHO/UNU equation
Correct answer: Mifflin-St. Jeor equation
The Mifflin-St. Jeor equation is the most accurate and widely validated RMR prediction tool recommended for clinical use by ACSM and AND.
ACSM Health Assessment 4
When assessing flexibility using the sit-and-reach test, what muscle group is primarily being evaluated?