There is a scarcity of descriptive data on the performance capacity of elite badminton players, whose fitness requirements are quite specific. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the physiological response of elite badminton players in a sport-specific fitness test. Twelve Hong Kong national badminton team players performed a field test on a badminton court. Six light bulbs were connected to a programming device causing individual bulbs to light up in a given sequence. The players were instructed to react to the flashes by running towards them, and striking shuttles mounted in the vicinity of the bulbs. Exercise Investigations by Mader" and Keul12 showed that the customary standardized cycle treadmill ergometry is not sufficient for an unequivocal prediction of successful performance in sport. Sport specific laboratory tests, such as rowing ergometry for rowers or cycle ergometry for cyclists, show deficiencies with respect to their capacity to forecast performance in competition. In addition, for sports involving non-rhythmic movements-such as in handball, squash, and badmintonsport specific testing is either impossible or may be performed only with the help of elaborate and expensive technical equipment. Such conclusions have prompted further research on possible means of obtaining valid estimations of the competition fitness of athletes in specific sports such as squash.'314 A specific programming device that controlled the intermittent flashes of light bulbs, designed to represent the offensive shots of an opponent in a squash game, was devised by Steininger and Wodick13 and tested in a squash court. A high correlation between subjects' rank-order and field test (r = 0.90, P < 0.001) was found. This correlation was higher than that between subjects' rank-order and fitness level as determined by a treadmill running protocol (r = 0.52, P > 0.05). The researchers concluded that this sport specific test provides reliable estimates of squash players' fitness levels. Since badminton is an indoor game comparable to squash, the objective of this paper was to investigate the physio-153

There is a scarcity of descriptive data on the physiological characteristics of elite Asian squash players. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological profile and sports specific fitness of Hong Kong elite squash players. It was conducted before the selection of the Hong Kong national squash team for the 1992 Asian Squash Championship. Ten elite squash players were selected as subjects for the study. Maximum oxygen uptake was measured using a continuous treadmill running test. A sports specific field test was performed in a squash court. The following means(s.d.) were observed: height 172.6(4.3) cm; weight 67.7(6.9) kg; body fat 7.4(3.4)%; forced vital capacity (FVC) 5.13(0.26) litres; maximum oxygen uptake (VOm.

Maximum oxygen uptake and the running speed at the anaerobic threshold were determined during treadmill running. Performance in these laboratory tests and performance on a squash-specific field test were compared and examined with respect to subjective ratings of squash fitness.The field test was performed in a squash court. Six light bulbs were connected to a programming device causing individual bulbs to light up in a given sequence. The players were instructed to react to the flashes by running towards and striking balloons mounted in the vicinity of the bulbs. By altering the interval between the lighting of the bulbs the intensity of exercise could be varied. The test consisted of a series of 3 min periods of exercise at increasing intensities (increased number of runs per unit of time). The results showed a low correlation (r = 0.52) between treadmill ergometry data and a rank-order list based on an independent, partly subjective estimate of fitness. A higher correlation (r = 0.90) was found for the results of the field test and the rank-order list. Maximum oxygen uptake values and anaerobic threshold values derived from laboratory measurements were thus not sufficient for a valid estimate of competition fitness in these players. The results show that a valid estimate of fitness can be derived from measurements involving exercise closely resembling that which is specific for the sports activity in question. Improved training advice and guidance may result from such studies.

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