Physiological Changes in College Students Following a Single Semester Physical Activity Class

Abstract

Most college physical activity classes fall short of providing enough physical activity to meet the ACSM’s current minimum weekly recommendations for physical activity. Since these courses are only 3-4 months in length, there is a question regarding the ability of these courses to produce physiological changes that have potential health benefits. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in body composition, aerobic fitness, and muscular strength in college students following a single semester physical activity class. METHODS: Sixty four females (BMI = 25.4 ± 5.8, age = 21.2 ± 2.7 yrs) and 47 males (BMI = 27.7 ± 7.4, age = 21.7 ± 2.9 yrs) were enrolled in a one semester (16 week) physical activity class. Participants were enrolled in one of five different physical activity courses. All courses met for 50 minutes, twice per week. These courses consisted of weight training, circuit training, body weight training, and cross training and were designed to stress different energy systems on different days. Students were also encouraged to continue physical activity outside of class hours. The following measures were obtained during the first two and last two weeks of classes; resting heart rate, body weight, height, body composition (bioelectrical impedance), 1.5 mile run, hand grip strength, and a push-up test. Pre- and post-test comparisons were made using paired t-tests. RESULTS: As a group, there were significant decreases in resting heart rate (4.3 ± 1.5 bpm), 1.5 mile run time (1:01 ± 0:30 min) and significant increases in hand grip strength (3.4 ± 1.2 kg) and push-ups completed (3.9 ± 0.8). In females, there was a significant decrease in 1.5 mile run time (1:05 ± 0.5 min) and a significant increase in push-ups completed (4.4 ± 1.0). In males, there was a significant decrease in heart rate (5.1 ± 2.3 bpm) and 1.5 mile run time (0:57 ± 0.5 min) and significant increases in hand grip strength (7.5 ± 2.4 kg) and push-ups completed (3.2 ± 1.1). There were no significant changes in body weight, BMI, or body composition. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that college-aged participants can achieve significant increases in aerobic fitness and muscular strength by participating in a general physical activity class.