Chapter 1 LabPreparticipation Health Screening, Medical Clearance, and Informed Consent

OverviewThe purpose of this laboratory is to describe the procedures used to perform preparticipationhealth screening. This is an important step that must be completed before aparticipant starts an exercise program or before being part of exercise testing.The ACSM has provided recommendations for preparticipation health screening proceduresfor various populations.1 For apparently healthy individuals, risk stratification and medical clearance are probably the most important considerations before initiating physical activity or an exercise program. That is the focus of this lab.

Equipment• Copies of the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) and the Pre-exerciseTesting Health Status Questionnaire2

ProceduresAn individual’s risk during exercise can be assessed with a medical screening instrumentsuch as the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) or a Pre-exercise TestingHealth Status Questionnaire. The PAR-Q is a common medical screening instrumentused by many exercise physiology laboratories. The procedures used to determine riskstratification using these two instruments are described below.

PAR-Q1. Begin administering the PAR-Q by instructing the individual to complete the firstseven questions.2. If the individual answers “yes” to one or more of the first seven questions, instructhim or her to contact a physician before performing any exercise. Inform the individualthat he or she should tell the physician which questions had “yes” answers onthe PAR-Q. The individual should also ask the physician what exercise tests shouldor should not be performed.3. If the individual answers “no” to all of the first seven questions, he or she should beallowed to perform the exercise test.

Pre-exercise Testing Health Status Questionnaire1. Begin the Pre-exercise Testing Health Status Questionnaire by instructing the individualto complete the general information at the top of the questionnaire and sectionsA through G.2. Examine the completed questionnaire and determine whether the individual cansafely perform the exercise test that you are asking him or her to do. If you feel thatthe individual may be at a health risk during the exercise test, instruct him or her tocontact a physician and receive medical clearance before performing the test.

Notes1. American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and

Prescription, 9th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2014.2. Your school or organization may have its own preparticipation questionnaires. Youcan use them in this lab in place of the samples provided.

Lab adapted from Housh, T., Housh, D., & deVries, H. (2016). Applied Exercise &Sport Physiology with Labs, 4e. (pp. 8-11). Abingdon: Routledge, Publishers.

PRE-EXERCISE TESTING HEALTH STATUS QUESTIONNAIRE

Name Date

ID# Birthdate (mm/dd/yy)

Home Address

Work Phone Home Phone

E-mail Address

Person to contact in case of emergency

Emergency Contact Phone

Personal Physician Physician’s Phone

Gender Age (yrs)

Height (ft) (in) Weight (lbs)

Does the above weight indicate: ● a gain ● a loss ● no change in the past year?

If a change, how many pounds? _________________ (lbs)

A. JOINT-MUSCLE STATUS ( Check areas where you currently have problems.)

JOINT AREAS MUSCLE AREAS

● Wrists ● Hips ● Arms ● Lower back

● Elbows ● Knees ● Shoulders ● Buttocks

● Shoulders ● Ankles● Chest ● Thighs

● Upper spine & neck ● Feet ● Upper back & neck ● Lower leg

● Lower spine ● Other ● Abdominal regions ● Feet

B. HEALTH STATUS ( Check if you previously had or currently have any of the following conditions.)

● High blood pressure ● Acute infection

● Heart disease or dysfunction ● Diabetes or blood sugar level abnormality

● Peripheral circulatory disorder ● Anemia

● Lung disease or dysfunction ● Hernias

● Arthritis or gout ● Thyroid dysfunction

● Edema ● Pancreas dysfunction

● Epilepsy ● Liver dysfunction

● Multiple sclerosis ● Kidney dysfunction

● High blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels ● Phenylketonuria (PKU)

● Loss of consciousness ● Allergic reactions to medication

● Other conditions that you feel we should Please describe:

know about _______________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

● Pregnant ● Allergic reactions to any other substance

Please describe:

_________________________________

QUESTIONNAIRE, page 2

C. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION HISTORY

Approximate date of your last physical examination _________________________________

Physical problems noted at that time _____________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Has a physician ever made any recommendations relative to limiting your level of physical exertion?

YES NO

If YES, what limitations were recommended? ______________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Have you ever had an abnormal resting electrocardiogram (ECG)? YES NO

D. CURRENT MEDICATION USAGE (List the drug name and the condition being managed.)

MEDICATION CONDITION

E. PHYSICAL PERCEPTIONS (Indicate any unusual sensations or perceptions. Check if you

have recently experienced any of the following during or soon after physical activity (PA) or during

sedentary periods (SED).)

PA SED PA SED

● ● Chest pain ● ● Nausea

● ● Heart palpitations “fast irregular heartbeats” ● ● Lightheadedness

● ● Unusually rapid breathing ● ● Loss of consciousness

● ● Overheating ● ● Loss of balance

● ● Muscle cramping ● ● Loss of coordination

● ● Muscle pain ● ● Extreme weakness

● ● Joint pain ● ● Numbness

● ● Other ● ● Mental confusion

F. FAMILY HISTORY ( Check if any of your blood relatives—parents, brothers, sisters, aunts,

uncles, and/or grandparents—have or had any of the following.)

● Heart disease ● High blood pressure

● Heart attacks or strokes (prior to age 50) ● Diabetes

● Elevated blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels ● Sudden death (other than accidental)

G. CURRENT HABITS ( Check any of the following if they are characteristic of your current

habits.)

● Smoking. If so, how many per day? ______ ● Regularly participates in a weight training

exercise program.

● Regularly does manual gardening or yardwork. ● Engages in a sports program more than once per

week.

● Regularly goes for long walks. If so, what does the program consist of?

● Frequently rides a bicycle. ________________________________

● Frequently runs/jogs for exercise.