Abstract
PurposeAnthropometrics, aerobic fitness and muscle strength are measured in one-third of all 18-year-old Norwegian men and women during yearly selection for compulsory military service. The large sample size and geographical representativity make these data valuable for reference. The main purpose of this study was to present reference data for anthropometrics and physical fitness in young Norwegian men and women.MethodsAll 154,659 subjects (66% men and 34% women, 17–21 years old) who completed physical examinations at conscript selection from 2011 to 2019 were included in the study. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from height and weight measurements. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) was estimated from performance on a maximal treadmill test. Muscle strength was measured by isometric chest and leg press, or seated medicine ball throw, standing long jump and pull-ups.ResultsMean BMI (SD) was 23.1 (3.4) and 22.9 (3.3) kg·m−2 in men and women, respectively (P < 0.001), and 24% of men and 21% of women had a BMI ≥ 25 kg·m−2. Estimated VO2peak was 52.9 (4.6) and 42.7 (3.9) mL·kg−1·min−1 in men and women, respectively (P < 0.001). Men performed significantly better than women on all muscle strength tests, with corresponding effect sizes varying from 1.14 for isometric leg press to 2.96 for seated medicine ball throw.ConclusionThe presented reference data on physical fitness in young Norwegian men and women can be used to evaluate population health, serve as reference material for future studies and describes sex differences in several physical fitness parameters.
Highlights
It is well established that aerobic fitness and anthropometrics are linked to cardiovascular disease risk and all-cause mortality (Mitchell et al 2010), and there is evidence for several health benefits related to resistance training and muscle strength (Liu et al 2019)
Many reference studies on physical fitness are hampered by relatively low participation rate and possible bias caused by self-selection (Loe et al 2014; Aadland et al 2017)
The current study presents reference values for Body mass index (BMI), aerobic fitness and muscle strength and power in a large sample of young Norwegian men and women
Summary
It is well established that aerobic fitness and anthropometrics are linked to cardiovascular disease risk and all-cause mortality (Mitchell et al 2010), and there is evidence for several health benefits related to resistance training and muscle strength (Liu et al 2019). Reference data on physical fitness can be collected from self-reported fitness or objective measurements. The latter is usually considered superior due to higher validity (Obling et al 2015). Objective measurements are timeconsuming, labor-intensive, and costly. This typically leads to reduced sample sizes and geographical catchment areas. Many reference studies on physical fitness are hampered by relatively low participation rate and possible bias caused by self-selection (Loe et al 2014; Aadland et al 2017)
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