Assessments of Core Fitness

Abstract

Apply It! By reading this feature article, readers will learn: • The assessment of core muscle strength, endurance, and coordination is important for training and health because the core is a crucial foundation for torque production and the transfer of loads from the limbs, pelvic, and shoulder girdles. • Although clinical core assessments tend to emphasize the measurement of muscle activation, a wide array of functional assessments are effective for monitoring core strength when sustaining or completing a variety of positions (isometric) or tasks/movements (dynamic). • In accord with training specificity, common movements such as squats, jumps, push-ups, and others are visually inspected to detect core dysfunctions (e.g., movement compensations, trunk buckling, and others). Many of these functional tests as well as balance tests do not solely evaluate core function. • There are very few dynamic tests that measure core strength or power associated with the spectrum of human movement and specific to different sports (e.g., soccer, basketball, etc.), and this is a crucial area for future research.