Physical fitness tests as an indicator of potential athletes in a large sample of youth

Background Promoting youth sports participation is an excellent strategy to improve health and high-level sports competition around the world. Aims The aim of this study was to analyse the potential of commonly used physical-fitness (PF) tests to discriminate against athletes from non-athletes in young populations. Material and Methods One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one youth people were analysed (boys: 514 non-athletes and 401 athletes; girls: 722 non-athletes and 194 athletes) aged 10-18 years (y). Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular fitness (MF), agility and speed were tested using PF tests. Results Application of receiver operating characteristics curves was used to assess the discriminatory potential of each PF for distinguishing athletes from non-athletes, with an area under the curve (AUC) higher than 65% (0.65). In the oldest groups (>= 16 y), the speed test at 20 m in boys (AUC = 0.70) and horizontal jump test in girls (AUC = 0.75) were the best discriminators, while the push-up-test (AUC 10-11 y boys = 0.68, AUC 14-15 y boys = 0.68, AUC 10-11 y girls = 0.73, AUC 12-13 y girls = 0.87) and the PACER (AUC boys: 12-13 y = 0.68 and AUC girls 14-15 y = 0.73) appeared to be better discriminators than other PF tests, for the younger age-groups. Conclusion The speed-test at 20 m and the horizontal-jump were the best PF to identify older adolescents with athletic potential, while the PACER and push-up tests were the most discriminatory for the younger adolescents.