Assessing Physical Fitness of Athletes in a Confined Environment during Prolonged Self-Isolation: Potential Usefulness of the Test of Maximal Number of Burpees Performed in 3 Minutes

Abstract

Due to a prolonged period of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to monitor the physical condition of athletes isolated at home with a fitness tool that measures various aspects of physical fitness, which does not require any special equipment, and can be performed within a small space. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the test of performing the maximal number of burpees in 3 min (or 3-MBT) to monitor strength, power, and aerobic endurance in trained athletes. For Part I (reliability of the 3-MBT), 20 (10 male, 10 female) national athletes from various sports performed the 3-MBT on two separate test sessions. Athletes performed as many burpees as possible within 3 min and the primary performance criteria was the number of burpees completed (where a higher number reflected a better performance). The 3-MBT displayed excellent relative reliability in the athletes, with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and coefficient of variation (CV %) of >0.92, and <3.0%, respectively. For Part II (validity of the 3-MBT), 40 (20 M, 20 F) athletes performed the 3-MBT, and the countermovement jump (CMJ), isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP), seated medicine ball throw (SMBT), isometric bench (IBP) and maximal aerobic power (VO2max) tests on separate sessions. When data of male and female athletes were pooled, there were significant correlations between relative 3-MBT and relative CMJ height (r = 0.65, large; p < 0.001), relative IMPT peak force (r = 0.50, large; p < 0.001), relative IBP peak force (r = 0.36, moderate, p = 0.02), and relative VO2max (r = 0.50, large; p < 0.001). In conclusion, the 3-MBT is a reliable and reasonably useful test and is a valid assessment of lower body power and strength, upper body strength and aerobic fitness in trained male and female athletes.

Relationship Between the Japanese Physical Fitness Test and the 3-Minute Burpee Test

“…Thus, one would expect the same results as in the present study for those who do not engage in special training or exercise. Not only in our study but also in other reports, aerobic capacity has shown a significant relationship with VO2max [23][24].…”

“…Burpees are multi-joint exercises that use major muscle groups of the body, such as the pectoralis major, deltoids, quads, hamstrings, and trunk, and can be performed anywhere without a specific gym or equipment, in addition to having stimulation of metabolic mechanisms such as heart rate (HR) and blood lactate levels (BLa) [13][14][15][16][17]. There are also a variety of tests using the burpee, including 10 seconds [18], 20 seconds [19], 30 seconds [19], 60 seconds [19], and 3 minutes [19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

“…It has been reported that the short duration of about 10-20 seconds is mainly related to instantaneous force while 30-60 seconds is related to lean body mass and the number of cycles of burpees performed [18][19][20][21][22][23][24].…”

“…In particular, a 3-minute duration has been reported to be highly related to a variety of field tests, including maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), countermovement jump height, isometric mid-thigh pull, isometric bench press, and lean body mass in women [19][20][21][22][23][24]. Therefore, it is expected that the relationship between the various field tests of the new fitness test will also be high.…”

3-Minute Burpee Test for Patients with Mild Dementia Disorder May Improve Cognitive Function and Physical Composition

“…The combined aerobic and strength training exercise program used in this study was the 3-minute burpee test (3MBT). 3MBT has been reported to be associated with maximal oxygen uptake, lean body mass in women and muscle strength (counter movement jump high, isometric mid-thigh pull, isometric bench press), muscle power (counter movement-jump height, isometric mid-thigh pull, and isometric bench press) have been reported to be related [10][11][12][13][14] .…”