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B2–B3 Health Monitoring Tests and Interpreting Results GapFill
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It is one thing to collect the data from a health monitoring test and another to be able to interpret it in respect of normative data and make appropriate judgements. Health monitoring tests are particularly useful in that they provide an measure which can be used to reflect the effectiveness of a training programme. Baseline tests provide a starting point from which recommendations can be made to work towards the end goal upon completion of the training programme. They allows targets to be set along the way to make sure the client is on track to achieving their desired goals. Comparing the results to normative data offers a bigger picture in respect to healthy ranges, averages, and norms for recreational and elite sports performers.
The following health monitoring tests are among the most common used:
| Blood pressure | This can be measured using both automated and manual devices. It gives a reading as blood pressure / blood pressure, where the healthy norm is around 120/80 mmHg. Anything above mmHg is considered to be hypertension (high blood pressure), whereas anything below mmHg is considered as hypertension (low blood pressure). |
| Resting heart rate | Most automated blood pressure tests also provide a measure of resting heart rate, but it can also be estimated by palpating the wrist for the radial pulse, or the neck for the carotid pulse. A more accurate measurement would be to use a wrist-based, or, even better, a chest-worn heart rate monitor. A population norm would be around 70 beats per minute (bpm). Fitter individuals, such as sports performers and elite athletes, have larger hearts so are able to eject the same amount of blood per minute in fewer beats, and so usually have a resting heart rate of < bpm, termed 'bradycardia'. Tachycardia is a condition where resting heart rate exceeds bpm, which has numerous potential causes such as genetics, anxiety and negative lifestyle factors. |
| (BMI) | This is used as a qualitative description of weight status. It is calculated by weight/height2 (kg/m2). Someone with a BMI of <18.5 is considered ; 18.5– is a healthy range; and >30, . The measurement is limited in that it fails to account for body composition, as two people could be the same weight yet have entirely different amounts of muscle and fat mass. |
| Waist-to-hip ratio | This is an indicator of weight status and associated health risk, which uses a tape measure to measure the ratio between waist and hip . It is important that the measurement is taken at the same place each time as it could affect the outcome by a meaningful amount. The healthy ratio differs for males and females as females generally have wider hips and a relatively narrow waist. Males with a ratio above and females above are considered to be at an elevated risk of heart disease. |