Master of Science (Exercise Science and Exercise Studies)

Test performance can be analyzed to find out the cause of the inability to meet performance targets, or to compare between athletes within the same sport or across sports through normative data. This study investigated the relationship between the Cross-Over Hop for Distance test and standing broad jump test; taking into consideration functional capabilities without lower-extremity impairments as recommended by Ross, Langford and Whelan (2002).

The purpose of this study is to correlate results of common strength and conditioning tests including lumbopelvic stability tests to that of the Cross-Over Hop for Distance test within the context of elite Wushu athletes. It is hypothesized that lumbopelvic stability indicators would be significantly related to the hop test. Should the hop test be able to correlate to the lumbopelvic stability tests well, the Cross-Over Hop for Distance test can be used to assess lumbopelvic stability training transfer to performance.

Thirty-three male elite Wushu athletes were tested with Squat 3RM test, Standing broad jump, Cross-Over Hop for Distance Test, Shirley Sahrmann Core Stability Test, Side Bridge Endurance Test, Flexor Endurance Test and the Modified Biering-Sorensen test. The factors above were statistically analyzed for correlation and a significant alpha level of .05 was used for all comparisons.

Pearson correlation between the Cross-Over Hop for Distance Test and the Shirley Sahrmann Test was significant at r =.49 (p =.01) while the correlation between the Cross-Over Hop for Distance Test and the weighted Standing Broad Jump scores was r =.45 (p =.01). The Cross-Over Hop for Distance test was also positively correlated to Flexor Endurance Test at r =.41 (p =.02), Squat test (weighted) at r =.40 (p =.02) and Mean Side Bridge at r =.35 (p =.05). The modified Biering-Sorenson’s Test was not found to correlate well with the Cross-Over Hop for Distance test (p=.36).

Moderate correlation of common strength and conditioning tests with the Cross-Over Hop for Distance test suggests that the Cross-Over Hop for Distance test may be able to predict a battery of such tests; thereby reducing testing effort. Future studies should employ a multiple regression model for the Cross-Over Hop for Distance test.