Physical Development and General Motor Performance of Bratislava University Students

Abstract

In this contribution the authors have evaluated a sample of 606 university students (studying at 8 faculties from Bratislava universities, 344 males and 262 females) by measuring 3 somatic parameters (body height, body weight and BMI) and by submitting them to 6 general motor performance tests (sit and reach, standing broad jump, 30seconds sit-ups, over head 2kg medicine ball throw, 10 x 5 m shuttle run and endurance shuttle run). Differences were identified by parametric un-pair t-tests and they were considered on a **1%, or a *5% significance level. We have not found any significant differences in somatic parameters between single groups of males or females. The general motor performance tests have indicated higher performance levels among students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports for all tests applied, both for males and females. On the other hand, students from other faculties seldom showed any significant differences in their general motor performance levels. Comparison with Slovak population shows higher performance level of The students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports also showed higher performance levels when compared to the Slovak population in general, while students at other faculties did not do any better or even did slightly worse than the general population, according to the historical data we have used for our comparison.