title: A hierarchical model of factors influencing a battery of agility tests.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the hierarchical contributions of anthropometry, strength and cognition to a battery of prescriptive and reactive agility tests.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen participants (mean±S.D.; age:22.1±1.9 years; height: 182.9±5.5 cm; body mass: 77±4.9 kg) completed four agility tests: a prescriptive linear sprint, a prescriptive change-of-direction sprint, a reactive change-of-direction sprint, and a reactive linear deceleration test. Anthropometric variables included body fat percentage and thigh girth. Strength was quantified as the peak eccentric hamstring torque at 180, 300, and 60°·s-1. Mean reaction time and accuracy in the Stroop word-colour Test was used to assess perceptual and decision making factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was little evidence of intertest correlation with the strongest relationship observed between 10 m sprint and t-test performance (r2=0.49, P<0.01). Anthropometric measures were not strong predictors of agility, accounting for a maximum 23% (P=0.12) in the prescriptive change-of-direction test. Cognitive measures had a stronger correlation with the reactive (rather than prescriptive) agility tests, with a maximum 33% (P=0.04) of variance accounted for in the reactive change-of-direction test. Eccentric hamstring strength accounted for 62% (P=0.01) of the variance in the prescriptive change-of-direction test. Hierarchical ordering of the agility tests revealed that eccentric hamstring strength was the primary predictor in 3 of the 4 tests, with cognitive accuracy the next most common predictor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is little evidence of inter-test correlation across a battery of agility tests. Eccentric hamstring strength and decision making accuracy are the most common predictors of agility performance.
authors.affiliation: Sports Injuries Research Group, Department of Sport and Physical Activity, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK - matt.greig@edgehill.ac.uk.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Naylor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Greig
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D000070633:Hamstring Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D013848:Thigh / Q000502:physiology; D019415:Torque; D055815:Young Adult