Yo-Yo Test and DEXA Scan
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Context
- Recently, the BCCI announced the (re)introduction of the Yo-Yo Test and the introduction of Dexa scansfor the purposes of selection to the team.
What is Yo-Yo Test?
- The Yo-Yo intermittent test is aimed at estimating performance in stop-and-go sports like football (soccer), cricket, basketball, and the like. It was conceived around the early 1990s by Jens Bangsbo, a Danish soccer physiologist.
- Like many other tests of fitness, it involves running at ever-increasing speeds, to exhaustion. However, a crucial difference is that the Yo-Yo Intermittent test has periodic rest intervals, thus simulating the nature of exertion in stop-and-go sports.
- The Yo-Yo test was first introduced to the Indian cricket team during Virat Kohli’s fitness-focused captaincy reign.
Version
- The most commonly used version involves running between two markers 20 metres apart, following audio cues which dictate the running speed required.
- After each 40 metres run, the participants have an active break of 10 seconds before running 40 metres again.
- At regular intervals, the required running speed increases. The test continues until the participants are no longer able to keep up with the required pace.
- Players are given scores on the basis of how many levels they are able to clear.
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What is a DEXA scan?
- DEXA stands for “dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.”
- A DEXA scan is a type of medical imaging test. It uses very low levels of x-rays to measure the calcium and other minerals in the bones to inturn measure the density of bones.
Importance of these Tests in Sports
- The Dexa scan and Yo -Yo Test can be used to provide a more accurate picture of the players’ fitness and physical condition, allowing the team to customise plans for players.
- It will also allow better insight into players’ recoveries, ensuring that players are not rushed back too early.
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