High Fitness Group Research Articles

Personality Differences of Adult Men before and after a Physical Fitness Program

Abstract This study investigated personality differences among high-fit, young (n = 7); high-fit, old (n = 7); low-fit, young (n = 7); and low-fit, old (n = 7) groups before and after a physical fitness program consisting of jogging, calisthenics, and recreational activities. Personality characteristics were assessed using the Cattell 16 PF Questionnaire, the Eysenck Personality Inventory, and the anxiety scale of the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List. ANOVA revealed that, regardless of age, the high-fit group was more intellectually inclined, emotionally stable, composed, self-confident, easygoing, relaxed, less ambitious, and unconventional than the low-fit group. The high-fit, young group was more dominant and aggressive than the high-fit, old group while the low-fit, young group was higher in superego strength than the old unfit group—especially at the end of the program. In general, the young group was more extraverted than the old group. As a whole, the subjects became more socially precise at the posttest than at the pretest.

Exercise Fitness, Cardiac Work and Blood Viscosity Factors in Patients and Normals

A study of 41 cardiovascular patients and normals showed significant correlations between physical fitness (as expressed by a fitness index based on work output) and high shear rate blood viscosity (p less than 0.01); between the cardiac work expressed as double product (= myocardial oxygen demand) and aggregation of red cells (p less than 0.05); between the triple term of cardiac work (fitness index divided by double product) and high shear rate blood viscosity (p less than 0.005) or aggregation of red cells (p less than 0.05), in all cases correlations being negative i.e., higher cardiac work or higher fitness being related to low blood viscosity or lower aggregation of red cells. Significant differences were found between high-fitness and low-fitness groups, the high-fitness group showing from plasma viscosity (p less than 0.0005), lower fibrinogen level (p less than 0.05), and higher albumin/fibrinogen ratio (p less than 0.01).

Heart Rates at Submaximal Relative Workloads in Subjects of High and Medium Fitness

Eight subjects of high fitness (V̇O2max - 56.9 ml/kg × min) and eight subjects of medium fitness (V̇O2max = 43.4 ml/kg × min) pedalled a bicycle ergometer for 6 minutes at workloads which elicited 70%, 80% and 90% of their individual V̇O2max. Heart rates were recorded during the last 30 seconds of each workload.The data were analysed by a 2 (fitness levels) × 3 (workloads) analysis of variance factorial design. Although the high fitness group recorded a lower mean heart rate for the 3 workloads (155 beats/min) than the medium fitness group (161 beats/min), there was no overall statistically significant difference between the 2 fitness levels. The difference was most marked at the highest workload where a statistically significant (p < .05) interaction occurred between workload and fitness level. A completely randomised design analysis of variance indicated that the high fitness group attained their V̇O2max at a statistically significant lower heart rate (173 beats/min) than the medium fitness group (182 beats/min).