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Abstract
Shimon, JM, Martinez, R, Darden, GF, and Clouse-Snell, J. Initial reliability and validity of the Lift-and-Raise hamstring test. J Strength Cond Res 24(2): 517-521, 2010-
The Lift-and-Raise hamstring flexibility test was developed as a field-based assessment to eliminate the effects of individual and developmental differences in arm, leg, and trunk lengths found with the commonly used Sit-and-Reach tests. This study assessed the initial reliability of the prototype instrument and its validity by comparing obtained values from a Cybex Testing and Rehabilitation System. Flexibility of the left leg was assessed on 53 college-aged participants (women, n = 28; men, n = 25) using the Lift-and-Raise test by 2 independent testers to determine initial reliability measures. The Cybex Testing and Rehabilitation System was compared with the Lift-and-Raise test when assessing the left hamstring of 39 college-aged students (women, n = 23; men, n = 16) to establish initial validity. A high intraclass correlation coefficient emerged between the 2 testers (r = 0.944) on the Lift-and-Raise instrument and between the Lift-and-Raise test and the Cybex testing protocol (r= 0.891). Based on initial results, the Lift-and-Raise test seems to be a reliable and valid test to measure hamstring flexibility.
KEY WORDS flexibility, assessment, health-related fitness
INTRODUCTION
The Sit-and-Reach test is currently the standard field-based test used to assess hamstring flexibility and is included in several fitness batteries (e.g., President's Challenge, FitnessGram, YMCA Youth Fitness Test). Hamstring flexibility is measured by sitting with both legs straight against a measurement box while reaching forward over the box with the hands together (one leg bent or finger-to-box distance variations are used with modified versions).
Although the Sit-and-Reach is fundamentally considered an accurate way to assess hamstring flexibility, the test has been noted to possess inherent limitations, especially with respect to individual and developmental differences in arm, leg, and trunk lengths. Proportional differences in arm and leg lengths between subjects often negatively impact the validity of Sit-and-Reach scores. Moderate validity (r = 0.64) was reported for the hamstring flexibility component of the Sit-and-Reach compared with a passive straight leg raise measured by a Leighton Flexometer (Spokane, WA, USA) (4). Attempts to modify the Sit-and-Reach have claimed to limit the bias of proportional extremity differences (2,3,6,11), yet moderate validity hamstring scores have...