Physical fitness of elite women's rugby union players over a ...

circulation in the muscle influence the endurance characteristics (Lambert, 2009). Rugby
researchers have predominately assessed abdominal and upper body muscle endurance via the
1 minute sit-up and push-up test respectively (Durandt et al., 2006; Maud, 1983). A study on
South African U16 and U18 elite male junior rugby players showed that 18 year old players
completed more pushups (52 ± 15) than the 16-year-old players (41 ± 12) however no
significant differences between playing position were demonstrated (Durandt et al., 2006).
Although tests are performed within a group of players and descriptive analysis are provided,
there are concerns over their standardization, reliability and validity (Duthie et al., 2003).
2.4.8 Aerobic Endurance
The trend towards more expansive game plans with constant recycling of possession and a
decrease in set plays in Super 12 and international matches has placed greater aerobic
endurance demands upon modern rugby players as compared to those of the era before
professionalism (Scott et al., 2003). Aerobic endurance, also referred to as cardiovascular
endurance or aerobic fitness, refers to the collective ability of the cardiovascular system to
adjust to the physiological stress of exercise (Lambert, 2009). Cardiovascular fitness is usually
measured in a laboratory or field setting. The most frequently employed laboratory protocols
for assessing a rugby player’s maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2max ), are progressive,
incremental exercise tests to exhaustion on either a treadmill or cycle ergometer (Scott et al.,
2003). An athlete’s VO 2max can be expressed either in absolute (liters per minute (l•min -1 )
when power output is important or relative to body mass per minute (ml•kg -1 •min -1 ) for
activities where body mass should be considered (Duthie et al., 2003). Given the large body
mass variation between backs and forwards, it suggested that researchers present these ratios
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