Feasibility and Safety of Field-Based Physical Fitness Test: A Systematic Review

Abstract We examined the feasibility and safety of existing field-based physical fitness tests used in people of all ages. The search was conducted through the electronic databases MEDLINE (via PubMed) and Web of Science (all databases) for published studies from inception to 31 January 2023. This systematic review was developed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were classified as very low quality, low quality or high quality, based on the criteria of appropriate number of participants, appropriate description of the study population, and appropriate number of items reported to assess feasibility/safety. Three evidence levels were constructed (strong, moderate and limited or inconclusive evidence) according to the number of studies and the consistency of the findings. Were identified a total of 19 (14 of high quality) and 13 (11 high quality) original studies examining the feasibility and the safety of field-based physical fitness tests, respectively. Strong evidence indicated that a) the 2-km walk and 20-m shuttle run tests were feasible to assess cardiorespiratory fitness in adults, children and adolescents, respectively; b) the handgrip strength test was feasible to assess isometric muscular strength in children and adolescents; and c) the standing long jump test was feasible to assess lower body explosive strength in children and adolescents. Only the 2-km walk test have shown strong evidence on safety in adults. A consensus is necessary to establish homogeneous methodological criteria to assess the feasibility and safety of field-based fitness tests. PROSPERO reference number, CRD42022298276