Fitness Testing Services
Fitness Testing Services provides access to evidence-based, gold standard assessments, consultation, feedback and performance evaluations tailored to diverse communities. Our services include:
- Physical fitness assessments for personal health
- Performance fitness evaluations for sport and recreation
- Occupational fitness assessment for performance standards
- Fitness testing support for researchers
We work with organizations such as Canadian Sport Institute Alberta as well as provide school based outreach, and provide experiential learning for undergraduate students.
With established connections within the firefighting professions, international and national sports teams, club and varsity athletics, as well as the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation (KSR), our expert team uses evidence to inform assessments and feedback.
Services
Sport and Health Assessment
Sport and Health Assessment services provide all aspects of fitness and health testing for athletes and the general public across central and northern Alberta. Our assessments provide adults as well as athletes and their coaches, and educators with a wide range of physiological testing, analysis and interpretations for effective monitoring of fitness and health, training program prescription or teaching of physiological concepts.
Fitness Testing Services also supports the University of Alberta research units and external research institutes, actively involving KSR undergraduate and graduate students in sport and health assessments as part of on-going lab and experiential learning.
Firefighting Fitness Assessment
Firefighting fitness services include the assessment of physically demanding tasks associated with emergency response occupations. This includes structural firefighting, wildland firefighting, military occupations, law enforcement, and search and rescue. Our primary service focuses on physical aptitude evaluations for firefighter applicants and other physically demanding trades. We provide specialized expertise for individual departments with unique requirements, such as the successful completion of the University of Alberta Physical Aptitude Evaluation for structural firefighting.
Sport Performance Fitness
Our Sports Performance Fitness services are designed to support athletes in reaching their peak potential. Leveraging state-of-the-art equipment, advanced training methodologies, and expertise from our faculty, we offer customized strength and conditioning programs that empower athletes to excel in their sport. From recreational participants to high-performance competitors, our tailored, evidence-based programs are designed to enhance athletic performance, build resilience, and promote overall health.
Outreach and Strategic Partnerships
We prioritize collaboration and community engagement through dynamic partnerships with organizations like the Canadian Sport Institute Alberta (CSI-Alberta). These alliances drive innovation, foster athlete development, and provide unparalleled experiential learning opportunities for students.
Sweat Concentration Test
Please see full description of sweat testing protocols under our sport and health assessment page.
Meet the Leadership Team
Director: Michael Kennedy
Associate Professor Michael Kennedy, a Clinical Exercise Physiologist, researches how stressors like cold and altitude affect human physiology. He teaches biological fitness to first-year kinesiology students. As Director, he focuses on enhancing undergraduate experiential learning and expanding community fitness assessment services for health, sport, and occupational performance.
Firefighter and Occupational Services Lead: Michael Scarlett
Michael Scarlett, an Assistant Lecturer and Occupational Testing Coordinator, holds an MSc focused on firefighting physical standards and heat stress countermeasures. Since 2016, he has contributed to best practices for firefighting, search and rescue, and law enforcement, optimizing occupational testing and physiology research for high-demand services across Canada.
Teaching and Research Innovation Lead: Dr. Joao Falk Neto
Dr. Joao Falk Neto, is an award-winning instructor and teaching professor in the Faculty of KSR, his work focuses on leading outreach efforts to expand experiential learning opportunities for students in the capital region, specifically within sport performance and fitness assessment. His academic and research expertise in high-intensity exercise is key to driving innovation in the approaches and protocols used for clients across health, sport, and occupational sectors.
Fitness Testing Services Coordinator: Marissa Doroshuk
Marissa Doroshuk is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist with a Master’s in women’s reproductive hormone physiology. Her diverse background spans cardio-oncology research, quality improvement, and strength and conditioning for adults and para-athletes. As the Fitness Testing Services Coordinator, she integrates exercise physiology, clinical and field-based research to better human performance and health outcomes through evidence-based practice and high-level coordination.
Firefighter and Occupational Services Logistics and Administration: Bradley Welch
Brad has a Bachelors in Physical Education. He has worked in the lab since 2008 specializing in occupational fitness research and testing. Currently assisting the administration of University of Alberta's structural firefighter fitness test.
Experiential Learning and Research Student Staff
Evan Yang: Full Time Practicum Student; 4th year Bachelor Kinesiology (Spring/Summer 2026)
Yasmine Favis: In-Field Learning Student; BARST Degree (Spring 2026)
Ema Ivkovic: Student Research Lead on DRAG Study: 4th year BSc Kinesiology Student and Human Performance Fund Scholarship Recipient (Winter 2026)
Jorja Duggan: In-Field Learning Student; Bachelor of Kinesiology (Winter/ Spring 2026)
Landon Christoffel: Student Research Lead ACL-R Study: PhD Candidate Rehabilitation Medicine (Spring/Summer/Fall 2026)
Fitness Testing Staff
- Kai Lee
- Jorja Duggan
- Zac Noble
- Aaron DeSousa
- Lucas DeWald
- Marc-Andre Manuel
- Kara Stewart
- Maddy Kuss
- Emily Vanden Berg
- William Knopp
- Alexandra Sarmiento
- Chuanyi Foo
- Jenna Valji
- Sahib Dhami
- Naisha Naik
- Jamie Grimshaw