Reproducibility and criterion-related validity of the sit and reach test and toe touch test for estimating hamstring flexibility in recreationally active young adults.
OBJECTIVE
1) to examine the test-retest reproducibility and criterion-related validity of the sit and reach test (SRT) and the toe touch test (TT) for estimating hamstring flexibility measured through the passive straight leg raise test (PSLR); and 2) to determine whether the SRT cut-off scores may be used for the TT test to identify participants in this sample of young healthy adults as having short hamstring flexibility.


METHODS
Test-retest design.


METHODS
Controlled laboratory environment.


METHODS
243 active recreationally young adults.


METHODS
Participants performed the SRT, the TT test and PSLR twice in a randomized order with a 4-week interval between trials. Reproducibility was examined using typical percentage error (coefficient of variation [CV]) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) as well as their respective confidence limits. Regression and Kappa correlation statistical analyses were performed to study the association of the SRT and TT test with the PSLR test and the 95% limits of agreement (LoA) between SRT and TT test were calculated to explore differences in the mean differences between these measurements.


RESULTS
The finding showed acceptable reproducibility measures for SRT (8.74% CV; 0.92 ICC), TT test (9.86% CV; 0.89 ICC) and PSLR (5.46% CV; 0.85 ICC). The SRT (R² = 0.63) and TT test (R² = 0.49) were significantly associated with PSLR. The 95% LoA between SRT and TT test reported systematic bias (2.84 cm) and wide 95% random error (±9.72 cm).


CONCLUSIONS
Reproducibility of SRT, TT test and PSLR is acceptable and the criterion-related validity of SRT and TT test is moderate. Furthermore, the SRT cut-off scores should not be used for TT test for the detection of short hamstring muscles.
Department of Health Sciences and Sports, Catholic University of San Antonio, Campus de los Jerónimos, s/n. 30107 Guadalupe, Murcia, Spain. Fayala@pdi.ucam.edu
F
F
Ayala
P
P
Sainz de Baranda
M
M
De Ste Croix
F
F
Santonja
D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises / Q000379:methods*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D011998:Recreation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013848:Thigh / Q000502:physiology; D014034:Toes / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult