CSC Performance Testing and Monitoring 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the one-repetition maximum (1RM) test measure?
- The maximum number of reps at 70% load
- The maximum load an athlete can lift correctly for exactly one repetition (Correct answer)
- Aerobic capacity under load
- Muscular endurance at bodyweight
Correct answer: The maximum load an athlete can lift correctly for exactly one repetition
The 1RM test establishes the maximum load an athlete can lift for a single repetition with proper technique, serving as the primary reference for prescribing training loads.
Question 2: Which test is most commonly used to assess lower body power and explosive capacity in strength and conditioning?
- 1RM back squat
- Vertical jump test (countermovement jump) (Correct answer)
- 3-mile run
- Sit-and-reach test
Correct answer: Vertical jump test (countermovement jump)
The countermovement vertical jump is a validated, highly reliable measure of lower body explosive power that correlates strongly with athletic performance across many sports.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of monitoring an athlete's resting heart rate (RHR) over time?
- To calculate maximum heart rate exactly
- To detect trends indicating overtraining, inadequate recovery, or illness — elevated RHR suggests increased physiological stress (Correct answer)
- To prescribe sprint training intensities
- To diagnose cardiac conditions
Correct answer: To detect trends indicating overtraining, inadequate recovery, or illness — elevated RHR suggests increased physiological stress
An elevated RHR above an athlete's normal baseline is a useful non-invasive indicator of excessive fatigue, overtraining, or the onset of illness — signaling need for recovery.
Question 4: The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test primarily assesses which physical quality?
- Maximal strength
- Intermittent high-intensity aerobic capacity (relevant to team sport demands) (Correct answer)
- Static flexibility
- Anaerobic power only
Correct answer: Intermittent high-intensity aerobic capacity (relevant to team sport demands)
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (Bangsbo) evaluates an athlete's ability to repeatedly perform high-intensity exercise with brief recovery periods, closely matching team sport demands.
Question 5: What is RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) and how is it used in training monitoring?
- An objective blood lactate test
- A subjective scale (e.g., Borg 6-20 or CR-10) where athletes rate training difficulty, used to monitor and adjust training load (Correct answer)
- A heart rate monitoring device
- A measure of sleep quality only
Correct answer: A subjective scale (e.g., Borg 6-20 or CR-10) where athletes rate training difficulty, used to monitor and adjust training load
RPE scales allow athletes to quantify training effort subjectively; session RPE (sRPE = RPE × duration) is a validated method for estimating and comparing training load over time.
Question 6: What does 'velocity-based training' (VBT) use to autoregulate training loads?
- Only heart rate data
- Real-time bar velocity measurements (via accelerometers/linear position transducers) to prescribe and adjust loads based on daily readiness (Correct answer)
- Maximum oxygen uptake values
- Only RPE scales
Correct answer: Real-time bar velocity measurements (via accelerometers/linear position transducers) to prescribe and adjust loads based on daily readiness
VBT uses devices that measure bar velocity in real time; since velocity at a given load correlates with readiness, training loads can be precisely autoregulated without 1RM retesting.
CSC Performance Testing and Monitoring 1
What does the one-repetition maximum (1RM) test measure?