Functional assessment represents one of the fundamental aspects of an athlete’s physical and athletic preparation, as well as during the return-to-sport phase following an injury. The specialist studies the athlete’s physical condition and helps define the optimal programme to improve their performance, establishing the methods, timescales, and objectives to be achieved.

How are athletes monitored? Through the evaluation of specific tests, the specialist is able to monitor the athlete’s form and progress based on the established training programme.

What are these tests? The isokinetic test, Y Balance Test, and Force Plate.

• The isokinetic test is an assessment of muscular strength and endurance, performed at a constant speed with resistance proportional to the force exerted by the patient. It provides objective data, useful for monitoring the patient’s rehabilitation pathway and, where appropriate, setting a personalised recovery or training protocol. The values obtained from measuring the injured limb are compared with those of the uninjured limb, so as to highlight any residual deficits.

• The Y Balance Test is a key test for assessing dynamic balance, motor control, and strength in a reliable and easily reproducible manner. The test requires the athlete to balance on one leg while performing consecutive reaching movements in the following directions: anterior, posterolateral, and posteromedial. At the end of the test, a composite score is calculated by summing the best results obtained in each direction and normalising the scores to the length of the lower limb. Symmetry between the right and left limb is also assessed.
• Force Plate. A force plate is a device equipped with numerous sensors that detects and measures the forces produced during a given athletic movement. These data are useful for studying postures and sporting movements, balance, and limb symmetry, in the context of a rehabilitation or training programme.