ALPHA-FIT TEST BATTERY NORMS FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS FROM 5 TO 18 YEARS OF AGE OBTAINED BY A LINEAR INTERPOLATION OF EXISTING EUROPEAN PHYSICAL FITNESS REFERENCES

Physical fitness has been shown to be a major health factor in both children and adolescents. One of the most widely applied physical fitness test batteries in Europe is the Alpha-fit. However, there is a reference gap between some of the ages. The aim of this study was to propose interpolated physical fitness percentile scores in children and adolescents for the main tests in the Alpha-fit test battery, which can be temporarily applied until this gap is filled in by experimental research. The recently available existing European normative values for children and adolescents were linearly interpolated in order to propose percentile scores to close the gap from 9.9 to 12.9 years of age in relation to the following tests: handgrip strength, standing long jump, and 4x10m shuttle run test (SRT). Similarly, other international references were combined with regard to the 20m SRT in order, thereby, to produce a full set of norms with the appropriate interpolations. The interpolated percentile scores obtained can be applied to assess the results from the Alpha-fit test battery of children and adolescents from 5 to 18 years of age. The combined percentile curves for handgrip strength, standing long jump, 4x10m SRT, and 20m SRT showed linearity, which sharpens between the ages of 9 and 13, and is probably connected with puberty. The proposed combined and interpolated reference values can be applied in order to evaluate European children and adolescents of all ages until the missing values are established by experimental research.