The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study

Background: The FitTrack Index is a web-based programme developed in South Africa and widely used by athletes to indicate their fitness. A need exists for a self-managed, non-invasive tool to evaluate and categorise health-related fitness in different population groups. The aim of this study was to...

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Main Authors: Dina Christina Janse van Rensburg, Catharina Cornelia Grant, Audrey Jansen van Rensburg, Roelf Petrus Gerhardus Botha, Paola Silvia Wood, Kim Nolte, Lizelle Fletcher, Peet Jacobus du Toit, Michael Sean Pepper, Pieter Ernst Kruger
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: AOSIS 2016-12-01
Series:Health SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1025984816300254
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spelling doaj-dee3942c47d94c4a9a45b364576559e52020-11-24T22:01:04ZafrAOSISHealth SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences1025-98482016-12-0121C43143610.1016/j.hsag.2016.07.005The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot studyDina Christina Janse van Rensburg0Catharina Cornelia Grant1Audrey Jansen van Rensburg2Roelf Petrus Gerhardus Botha3Paola Silvia Wood4Kim Nolte5Lizelle Fletcher6Peet Jacobus du Toit7Michael Sean Pepper8Pieter Ernst Kruger9Section Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South AfricaSection Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South AfricaSection Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South AfricaSection Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South AfricaExercise SMART Team, University of Pretoria, South AfricaDepartment of Biokinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South AfricaDepartment of Statistics, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, South AfricaExercise SMART Team, University of Pretoria, South AfricaInstitute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Pretoria, South AfricaExercise SMART Team, University of Pretoria, South AfricaBackground: The FitTrack Index is a web-based programme developed in South Africa and widely used by athletes to indicate their fitness. A need exists for a self-managed, non-invasive tool to evaluate and categorise health-related fitness in different population groups. The aim of this study was to compare the FitTrack Index with a reliable measure of cardio-respiratory fitness as indicated by maximal oxygen uptake (direct VO2max). Methods & results: During a 12-week cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study the direct laboratory tested VO2max indicated a moderate to strong correlation with the FitTrack Index (Spearman's rho = 0.439, p = 0.089 at baseline; Spearman's rho = 0.853, p < 0.001 after 12 weeks). Conclusions: These results suggest that the web-based FitTrack Index may be considered an appropriate tool to evaluate exercise capacity and cardiovascular fitness in healthy individuals following an aerobic training programme.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1025984816300254Aerobic fitnessExercise abilityRecreational fitnessCardiovascular fitnessFitness indicationVO2max
collection DOAJ
language Afrikaans
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Dina Christina Janse van Rensburg
Catharina Cornelia Grant
Audrey Jansen van Rensburg
Roelf Petrus Gerhardus Botha
Paola Silvia Wood
Kim Nolte
Lizelle Fletcher
Peet Jacobus du Toit
Michael Sean Pepper
Pieter Ernst Kruger
spellingShingle Dina Christina Janse van Rensburg
Catharina Cornelia Grant
Audrey Jansen van Rensburg
Roelf Petrus Gerhardus Botha
Paola Silvia Wood
Kim Nolte
Lizelle Fletcher
Peet Jacobus du Toit
Michael Sean Pepper
Pieter Ernst Kruger
The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study
Health SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
Aerobic fitness
Exercise ability
Recreational fitness
Cardiovascular fitness
Fitness indication
VO2max
author_facet Dina Christina Janse van Rensburg
Catharina Cornelia Grant
Audrey Jansen van Rensburg
Roelf Petrus Gerhardus Botha
Paola Silvia Wood
Kim Nolte
Lizelle Fletcher
Peet Jacobus du Toit
Michael Sean Pepper
Pieter Ernst Kruger
author_sort Dina Christina Janse van Rensburg
title The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study
title_short The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study
title_full The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study
title_fullStr The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study
title_full_unstemmed The FitTrack Index as fitness indicator: A pilot study
title_sort fittrack index as fitness indicator: a pilot study
publisher AOSIS
series Health SA Gesondheid: Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences
issn 1025-9848
publishDate 2016-12-01
description Background: The FitTrack Index is a web-based programme developed in South Africa and widely used by athletes to indicate their fitness. A need exists for a self-managed, non-invasive tool to evaluate and categorise health-related fitness in different population groups. The aim of this study was to compare the FitTrack Index with a reliable measure of cardio-respiratory fitness as indicated by maximal oxygen uptake (direct VO2max). Methods & results: During a 12-week cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study the direct laboratory tested VO2max indicated a moderate to strong correlation with the FitTrack Index (Spearman's rho = 0.439, p = 0.089 at baseline; Spearman's rho = 0.853, p < 0.001 after 12 weeks). Conclusions: These results suggest that the web-based FitTrack Index may be considered an appropriate tool to evaluate exercise capacity and cardiovascular fitness in healthy individuals following an aerobic training programme.
topic Aerobic fitness
Exercise ability
Recreational fitness
Cardiovascular fitness
Fitness indication
VO2max
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1025984816300254
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