title: The sit up test to exhaustion as a test for muscular endurance evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the sit up test to exhaustion as a field test for muscular endurance evaluation in a sample of sedentary people of both sexes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was performed. Three-hundred-eighty-one participants volunteered for the study (28.5 ± 10.0 years; 168.2 ± 8.9 cm; 65.1 ± 11.1 kg), of which 194 males (27.5 ± 10.2 years; 173.6 ± 7.0 cm; 71.2 ± 5.2 kg) and 187 females (29.6 ± 10.1 years; 162.6 ± 7.1 cm; 58.7 ± 8.9 kg). Each subject voluntarily and randomly performed: a sit up test (SUT), a push up test (PUT), and a free weight squat test (ST), all till exhaustion. A multiple regression analysis was adopted for data analysis. Subsequently a percentile model for muscle endurance was developed. The 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile were identified as upper limit for low muscular endurance, average muscular endurance, and lower limit for high muscular endurance, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Considering the sit up test as the dependent variable, the coefficients (R(2) = 0.23; r = 0.49; p < 0.001), and (R(2) = 0.31; r = 0.57; p < 0.001) emerged from a multiple regression analysis applied with respect to the push up test and the squat test, respectively. Gender stratification showed regression coefficients of (R(2) = 0.19; r = 0.44; p < 0.001) for SUT vs. PUT, and (R(2) = 0.30; r = 0.56; p < 0.001) for SUT vs. ST in male; and (R(2) = 0.23; r = 0.49; p < 0.001) for SUT vs. PUT, and (R(2) = 0.34; r = 0.59; p < 0.001) for SUT vs. ST in female.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SUT showed low inter-relation with the other proposed tests indicating that the adoption of a single test for the global evaluation of muscle endurance is not the optimal approach. Moreover, the SUT was found to be inexpensive, safe, and appropriate for core muscle endurance measurement for both male and female.
authors.affiliation: Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, University of Palermo, Via Giovanni Pascoli, 6, 90144 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, Motor Science Research Center, School of Exercise and Sport Science (SUISM), University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lupo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alesi
authors.affiliation: Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, University of Palermo, Via Giovanni Pascoli, 6, 90144 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spina
authors.affiliation: Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, University of Palermo, Via Giovanni Pascoli, 6, 90144 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raccuglia
authors.affiliation: Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, University of Palermo, Via Giovanni Pascoli, 6, 90144 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Ewan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paoli
authors.affiliation: Sport and Exercise Sciences Research Unit, University of Palermo, Via Giovanni Pascoli, 6, 90144 Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palma
keywords: Assessment; Inter-relation; Normative values; Strength