RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL FITNESS LEVEL AT PUBERTY AND AT YOUNG ADULT LIFE 138

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of physical fitness at puberty period and at early adult life, among individuals from low socioeconomic region. With that aim, 49 girls (G) and 62 boys (B) from the public school system of a low socioeconomic region were followed longitudinally for about 10 years. At the beginning of the project, mean age were 10.67 (s: 2.02)and 11.65(s: 1.77)years-old, and at the end 19.84(s: 2.48) and 21.44(s:2.78)years for girls and boys, respectively. Measures of physical fitness included body height, weight, adiposity (seven skinfolds-SF), arm and leg girths, maximal oxygen uptake (˙VO2max) in ml/kg/min-1, long and vertical jump with and without(W) help of upper arms, handgrip(HG), velocity(50m-dash-VEL), and agility (shuttle-run - SR). The coefficients of correlation for each variable and sex were as follows:Table The variables at puberty that explained the adult values the most were: a- for girls: body weight, adiposity, and velocity, and b- for boys: body height, adiposity, handgrip, vertical jump (VJ). When data from both sexes were combined, the variables at puberty that best explain the adult scores were body weight, adiposity, agility, velocity, and handgrip. These results permit to conclude that the level of physical fitness at puberty has a significant(low to moderate) correlation with the young adult fitness profile among subjects from low socioeconomic regions.