Harriers’ pre-season preparations leaped into the 21st century as players had their fitness levels tested by cutting edge technology after teaming up with a Kidderminster company.

The new-look squad paid a visit to Mill Street health outfit Hypoxi Worcestershire on Monday and were given a thorough analysis of their fitness as preparations for the Blue Square Bet Premier began in earnest.

Players underwent 50 tests, including body mass index, protein levels, minerals, muscle and fat, by the revolutionary Biospace Inbody 720 machine.

Each one was given a detailed breakdown of their fitness and an overall score.

The cutting edge kit was also able to break down and assess the body into different areas, giving club physio Gavin Crowe a powerful insight into how best to prepare a player for the 2011-12 season in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

“There are ways of assessing fitness and analysing a player but the advantage at Hypoxi is they have a machine that can do it in tremendous detail and even break it down to different legs, arms and the torso,” commented an impressed Crowe.

“That means we can see where a player might need to concentrate on a little bit more.

“This analysis will lay down a marker and hopefully we can assess the players mid-way through the season and at the end of it as well.

“Other clubs do something similar but not to this level, so I think it will also give us an edge in the season as well.”

Players also got to try out another of Hypoxi’s technology, the vacunaut, a machine designed to help reduce stubborn fat from troublesome areas of the body.

Dianne Malanaphy, who is the director of Hypoxi Worcestershire, said: “One of the benefits of the Biospace Inbody 720 is it also gives a very detailed analysis of muscle and fat and can even break it down into the arms, legs and trunks to see where more work is needed.

“This machine is only usually used by university hospitals for research and there only five bought commercially, so this will be a new and we hope very useful experience for Harriers’ players.

“We also have a machine called a vacunaut, which helps to remove remove fat from parts of the body where it is not always easy to do so.

"It could be ideal to help players out injured keep their body weight and fitness under control. I don’t think the players need it as they all looked in good shape.”

Crowe was impressed by the general level of fitness by the squad after two months off from football in training.

Players took part in a beep test, with new signing James Vincent amongst those doing well.

“The guys have all come back looking in good shape, they all look fit and ready to go,” added Crowe.