Body mass index

The objective of this test is to monitor the athlete’s weight.

Required resources

To undertake this test you will require:

• Tape measure to determine your height
• Set of scales to measure your weight
• Assistant.

How to conduct the test

Assistant to:

• Measure the athlete’s height in metres
• Measure the athlete’s weight in kilograms.

To determine BMI divide the weight by the height squared:

BMI = weight / (height x height)

Analysis

The normal acceptable range of this measurement is 20.1 to 25.0 for men and 18.7 to 23.8 for women. The only exceptions are athletes and body builders, whose extra muscle may tip their BMI over the normal range.

Normative data

BMI	Assessment
20 to 25	Normal
25 to 30	Pre Obese
30 to 35	Obese
> 35	Grossly Obese

Target group

This test is suitable for active individuals but not for those where the test would be contraindicated.

Reliability

Reliability would depend upon how strict the test is conducted.

Validity

There are published tables to relate results to potential level of fitness and the correlation is high.