Physical Fitness In Young Adults Research Articles

Variation in physical fitness and the impact of COVID-19 in young Colombian adults: An 11-year observational retrospective study

Introduction. Low levels of physical activity (PA) have become one of society's major problems. Physical fitness is a predictor of health. Objective. The present study investigates temporary changes in lower limb power, running speed, flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness before and after COVID-19. Material & Method. Cross-sectional data were collected from 2.942 young people (17-21 years old) of both sexes between 2011 and 2022. Performance was analyzed in relation to the explosive strength of the lower limbs based on standing long jump (SLJ), flexibility (sit-and-reach), cardiorespiratory resistance (20 m Shuttle Run Test) and speed (SP-30 m). Results.The results indicate significant (p<0.001) strong and moderate (ES = 0.45 to 1.45) decreases in the shuttle run in most periods for young people of both sexes, although the decline in women’s performance was twice that of men. The SLJ also showed a significant (p<0.001) weak and moderate (ES = 0.07-1.86) decrease in most periods, with a stronger decline in men. The sit-and-reach test did not demonstrate significant differences by either sex or period. In the SP-30 m, significant (p<0.001) weak (ES = 0.12) decreases were observed in the race time for men only between 2011-2022, while there were significant (p<0.001) strong (ES = 1.8-2.0) increases for women in some periods. Conclusions. The silent pandemic of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors has had a greater effect than COVID-19 on levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. The results of this study indicate a gradual and sustained reduction in the physical fitness of young adults throughout the past decade, which was greater than that caused by confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This indicates that the level of physical fitness is so low that confinement did not generate significant effects on the reduction in physical fitness in the young adult population. In other words, the silent pandemic of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors has had a greater effect than COVID-19 on levels of physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors. Keywords: Temporal trends, COVID-19, Physical fitness, Maximal oxygen peak, Stretching.

Effects of low-volume functional and running high-intensity interval training on physical fitness in young adults with overweight/obesity.

Objectives: This study examined and compared the effects of functional and running high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular fitness of young adults with overweight or obesity. Methods: Forty-five participants (22.1 ± 2.1years, BMI = 25.2 ± 1.0kg/m2) were assigned to functional HIIT (HIIT-F; n = 15), running HIIT (HIIT-R; n = 15), or non-training control group (CON; n = 15). Participants in HIIT-F and HIIT-R performed functional exercise based-HIIT (four sets of all-out whole-body exercises including jumping jacks, squats, twist jumps and mountain climbers, et al.) and running HIIT (four sets of running on a treadmill) for 12weeks, respectively. Body composition, muscular fitness, and cardiorespiratory fitness were assessed pre and post intervention. Results: Both HIIT-F and HIIT-R significantly improved the body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness, with HIIT-F induced greater improvements in lean mass (+1.623 vs. -1.034kg, p < 0.001), back strength (+6.007 vs. +3.333kg, p < 0.01), and push-ups (+5.692 vs. 1.923 reps, p < 0.001) than that in HIIT-R. HIIT-R reduced more visceral fat area (VFA) (-11.416 vs. -4.338cm2, p = 0.052) and induced similar improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max, +2.192 vs. +2.885mL/kg/min, p = 0.792) with HIIT-F. Conclusion: Twelve weeks of HIIT-R or HIIT-F improved physical fitness among young adults with overweight or obesity. Despite the similar impact on cardiorespiratory fitness, HIIT-F generates a better positive effect on muscular fitness relative to HIIT-R, which could be partly explained by the greater increase in lean mass after HIIT-F intervention.

The long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical fitness in young adults: a historical control study

The strength of evidence regarding long-term changes to fitness resulting from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns is deficient. This two-site retrospective study aimed to investigate the long-term changes in physical fitness among young adults a year after the onset of the pandemic using a robust historical control. University freshmen who underwent physical fitness tests in 2019 and completed a follow-up in 2020 (study group) were included. The primary focus was to compare the current cohort with a historical control group who completed the same tests a year prior (2018). A total of 5376 individuals were recruited, of which 2239 were in the study group. Compared with the control, the study group exhibited a decrease in anaerobic fitness, with an overall difference of −0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], [−1.33 to −0.36]); declines in aerobic fitness, with a difference of −2.25 [−3.92 to −0.57] for males and −4.28 [−4.97 to −3.59] for females; a reduced explosive fitness (−2.68 [−3.24 to −2.12]); and a decreased upper-body strength in females (−1.52 [−2.16 to −0.87]). The fitness of young adults has been considerably compromised by COVID-19 lockdowns, highlighting the importance of promoting physical activity to prevent long-term health implications.

Hepatic and Systemic Inflammation for Left Ventricular Mass in Physically Fit Adults: CHIEF Heart Study.

Both low-grade systemic and hepatic inflammation could result in increased left ventricular mass (LVM) in the general population. However, the associations, which might be modified by exercise, have not been clarified in physically active young adults. The study included 2,004 military males aged 18-43 years in eastern Taiwan. Systemic and hepatic inflammation was defined by the upper tertiles of blood white blood cell (WBC) counts (7.51-11.00 x 103/μL) and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT: 30-120 U/L), respectively. LVM indexed for the body height ≥49 g/m2.7 was defined as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) based on echocardiography. Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol intake, physical fitness, and metabolic syndrome was utilized to determine the associations. As compared to the lower WBC/lower ALT group, there tended to have an increased risk of LVH with the higher WBC/lower ALT group, the lower WBC/higher ALT group, and the higher WBC/higher ALT group [odds ratios: 0.89 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.41-1.94), 1.90 (95% CI: 0.86-4.22) and 2.48 (95% CI: 1.04-5.92); p-value for trend = 0.01]. Our study suggested that in physically active males, those with hepatic inflammation rather than low-grade systemic inflammation had a higher risk of LVH. Hepatic injury might be relevant to LVH as an early sign of end-organ damage regardless of physical fitness in young adults.

Effects of Verbal Encouragement and Performance Feedback on Physical Fitness in Young Adults

This study evaluates the effects on the performance of young adults undergoing physical fitness tests with external stimuli (verbal encouragement (VE), performance feedback (PF), goal-oriented (GO) and a combination of external stimuli (CS)) and without external stimuli (WS). A group of 432 male students (age 19.1 ± 2.1 y, BMI 24.72 ± 5.97) was randomly selected for this study. They underwent a battery of fitness tests (bench press, 10 and 30 m sprints, and vertical jump) with and without external stimuli. The results showed greater improvements in mean power in bench press after PF compared to attempts WS (14.93 W, 3.43%, p = 0.005), and after CS compared to WS (13.84 W, 3.18%, p = 0.015). The time in the 10 and 30 m sprints decreased more profoundly after a combination of VE and GO compared to WS (0.021 s, 1.07%, p = 0.000 and 0.06 s, 1.23%, p = 0.001, respectively) and after CS compared to VE (0.015 s, 0.76%, p = 0.004 and 0.074 s, 1.52%, p = 0.000, respectively). Furthermore, the height of the jump improved more after VE than WS (1.36 cm, 5.46%, p = 0.000), after CS than WS (1.94 cm, 7.79%, p = 0.000), and after CS than VE stimulus (0.58 cm, 2.21%, p = 0.000). These findings indicate that external stimuli and their combination are more effective for achieving better results in physical fitness tests than without external stimuli. Therefore, practitioners should use verbal encouragement, performance feedback, goal-oriented stimuli, and their combinations during physical fitness testing in physical education classes in order to enable their students to achieve a better performance.

PENDAHULUAN TINGKAT KEBUGARAN FISIK DENGAN SIX MINUTE WALK TEST PADA MAHASISWA FAKULTAS KEDOKTERAN UNIVERSITAS TARUMANAGARA

out a person's work capacity, we must determine the maximum oxygen (O2) consumption or VO2 max. Physical fitness is the ability and physical endurance of a person in carrying out various daily activities, without experiencing fatigue. Research related to the level of physical fitness is a preliminary study because this study aims to determine the level of physical fitness of students of the Tarumanagara University Faculty of Medicine using a six minute walk test. This research can be developed and can predict the level of physical fitness in young adults. The research conducted was an experimental analytical research. The research subjects were active medical students aged 18-22 years, willing to sign an informed consent and were physically and mentally healthy. The study was conducted on 44 subjects and subject was taking by judgmental sampling. Subject data consisted of age, gender, measurement results of body weight, height, blood pressure, pulse and VO2 Max before and after doing the six minute walk test and the distance after doing the six minute walk test. The level of physical fitness with a six minute walk test among students of the Faculty of Medicine at Tarumanagara University varied the results, most of them showed poor results and women were more dominant with poor fitness levels. The decrease in VO2 max before and after doing the six minute walk test and this result is in accordance with the results of the poor physical fitness level of the Tarumanagara University medical faculty students.

A gender-based comparative cross-sectional study of physical fitness index using Harvard's step test in the medical students of Western India

Background: With increasing sedentary life style, it has been seen that there is rising trend of the lower physical fitness in young adults. It is well-understood that the physical fitness can be measured with the help of the VO2 max. In the present study, the physical fitness of young girls and boys were compared. Aims and Objectives: We aimed to compare the physical fitness index (PFI) and VO2 max in young boys and girls. Materials and Methods: 150 subjects (76 males and 74 females) of age 19–23 years are subjected to Harvard step test to find their PFI. Astrand’s Nomogram is used to calculate the predicted VO2 max. These values from boys are compared with the girls. Results: The results showed that both the PFI (males 75.89 ± 13.665, females 67.91 ± 14.261) and the VO2 max (males 3.3 ± 0.76 and females 3.01 ± 0.75) are significantly low in the young girls as compared to young boys. Conclusion: We found that females have lower PFI and VO2 max. The less physical fitness in the girls is related to the presence of more body fat mass, estrogen effect, and less amount of RBC count as compared to males.

Body mass and cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with altered brain metabolism.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy provides measures of brain chemistry that are sensitive to cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition. The concentration of N-acetyl aspartic acid (NAA) is of interest because it is a marker of neuronal integrity. The ratio of NAA to creatine, a standard reference metabolite, has been shown to correlate with measures of both cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition. However, previous studies have explored these effects in isolation, making it impossible to know which of these highly correlated measures drive the correlations with NAA/Cr. As a result, the mechanisms underlying their association remain to be established. We therefore conducted a comprehensive study to investigate the relative contributions of cardiorespiratory fitness and percent body fat in predicting NAA/Cr. We demonstrate that NAA/Cr in white matter is correlated with percent body fat, and that this relationship largely subsumes the correlation of NAA/Cr with cardiorespiratory fitness. These results underscore the association of body composition with axonal integrity and suggests that this relationship drives the association of NAA/Cr with physical fitness in young adults.

Physical fitness and physical self-concept of male and female young adults in Qatar.

BackgroundPhysical inactivity is high within the Qatari population, particularly within females, and school-based environments, contributing to increased morbidity and mortality. School-based physical activity (PA) outcomes may be mediated by physical self-concept. Low physical self-concept may negatively impact PA engagement, compromising childhood and adolescent physical fitness, which may translate into adulthood. Normative physical fitness data for the Qatari population is unavailable. Stratifying normative physical fitness appears prudent, to not only allow comparisons to be made worldwide, but enable informed decisions for public health policy and future interventions in the Qatari population.PurposeTo establish the physical fitness of young adults in Qatar, and examine differences between males and females for physical self-concept, and engagement in school-based and extra-curricular PA.Method186 (females n = 85) healthy participants [median (minimum—maximum) age: males = 21 (18–26), females = 21 (18–24) y; height: males = 1.74 (1.57–1.99), females = 1.61 (1.46–1.76) m; body mass: males = 71.9 (49.3–145.0), females = 56.8 (35.7–96.4) kg] completed the ALPHA-FIT test battery for adults (one leg stand, figure of eight run, handgrip strength, jump and reach, modified push-up, dynamic sit-up and 2 km walk), physical self-description questionnaire (measuring physical self-concept), and were asked to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to whether they participated in school-based and extra-curricular PA.ResultsData is reported as effect size; ±90% confidence limit. Males compared to females most likely performed better for dynamic sit-up (2.2; ±0.76), very likely better for the figure of eight run (0.86; ±0.42) and likely better for handgrip strength (2.1; ±0.75). Males likely had higher physical self-concept for coordination (0.78; ±0.37) and endurance (0.66; ±0.27) compared to females. There were no differences for school-based PA (p ≥ 0.78) or for extra-curricular PA for males (p ≥ 0.26) or females (p ≥ 0.21).ConclusionThe data suggests that the young Qatari adult population has variable, yet generally low, physical fitness traits compared to individuals worldwide, likely due to their low PA. The precise aetiology for this is not well documented, yet such data may be prudent to evidence-inform strategies to improve physical fitness through increased PA (synergistic relationship), given the strong association between physical activity/fitness and morbidity/mortality.

Raw bioelectrical impedance (BIA) variables and physical fitness in young adults

Raw bioelectrical impedance (BIA) variables and physical fitness in young adults

Can using exergames improve physical fitness? A 12-week randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveTo examine whether playing exergames improves physical fitness in young adults; and whether such an improvement depends on their previous participation in other forms of exercise. Design, setting, and participantsThis study was a randomized controlled trial, which enrolled 117 college students from January to April 2014, who were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 55) or a control group (n = 62). Among them, 113 (96.6%) completed participation in this study. InterventionThe 12-week exergame program included the use of exergames for 30 min, three times a week, and an examination of physical fitness before and after the program. ResultsExergames improved normalized diastolic blood pressure, sit-up tests and 3-min step tests, but increased body fat percentage. In addition to the main effects, for participants who had previously engaged in other forms of exercise of 120 min or more per week, playing exergames improved performance in normalized diastolic blood pressure, sit-up tests, push-ups, and 3-min step tests. For participants previously engaging in other forms of exercise of less than 120 min per week, playing exergames improved performance in sit-up tests, and response time. ConclusionsUsing exergames may improve physical fitness among young adults.

Effects of high altitude and nutritional status over the physical fitness of young Nepalese residing in Pokhara, Kaski district of western Nepal

Pokhara is situated over 5,577ft above sea level in The Kingdom of Nepal. Such high-hilly regions of Nepal contain only one-third as much oxygen as sea level air and in order to acclimatize to such environmental hypoxia, a series of metabolic and musculocardio-respiratory adaptations initiate that influence oxygen transport and utilization, which is necessary to achieve optimal physical performance at altitude. The health of people residing at such high altitude is determined not only by the environment but also by means of nutritional determinants. The present study was conducted to explicate the effect of high altitude environment with nutritional factors over physical fitness of young Nepalese of Pokhara. Twenty-five male young Nepalese were randomly selected from Pokhara, Nepal (mean age 21.6) and twenty-five sedentary college students of Kolkata, India (mean age 21.9) were taken as controls. Results showed a significant difference in BMI, body fat percentage, pre- and post-exercise BP, PFI, VO2max, energy expenditure and anaerobic power (P&lt;0.05). Young adults of Nepal are also found to be deficient in protein, calcium and iron in their diet, describing their poor nutritional status. Together these data entail that the physical fitness of young adults of Nepal is under the influence of environmental factors as well as their nutritional status.South East Asia J Public Health | Jan-June 2012 | Vol 2 Issue 1 | 34-38 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v2i1.15263

The Association Between Motor Skill Competence and Physical Fitness in Young Adults

We examined the relationship between competence in three fundamental motor skills (throwing, kicking, and jumping) and six measures of health-related physical fitness in young adults (ages 18–25). We assessed motor skill competence using product scores of maximum kicking and throwing speed and maximum jumping distance. A factor analysis indicated the 12-min run/walk, percent body fat, curl-ups, grip strength, and maximum leg press strength all loaded on one factor defining the construct of “overall fitness.” Multiple regression analyses indicated that the product scores for jumping (74%), kicking (58%), and throwing (59%) predicted 79% of the variance in overall fitness. Gender was not a significant predictor of fitness. Results suggest that developing motor skill competence may be fundamental in developing and maintaining adequate physical fitness into adulthood. These data represent the strongest to date on the relationship between motor skill competence and physical fitness.

The Association Between Motor Skill Competence and Physical Fitness in Young Adults

The Association Between Motor Skill Competence and Physical Fitness in Young Adults

体育学における疲労自覚症状の評価尺度

Everyone experiences fatigue in daily life, but conscious awareness of fatigue differs considerably among individuals.A method for evaluating fatigue based on individual subjective symptoms was developed for labor hygiene in Japan, but in Europe and the United States, the scales employed have been widely developed mainly in the field of medical treatment.Adolescence and young adulthood are very important age stages in which physical fitness of young adults develops markedly and their lifestyle is determined. Adolescent and young adult lifestyles, and the causes and contents of their fatigue, differ considerably from those of laborers. Therefore, it is not appropriate to use fatigue scales developed for laborers to evaluate the fatigue of adolescents and young adults.Fatigue is closely related to health, physical fitness, and stress, and subjective fatigue symptoms can also be used as an important index for health evaluation. Considering the significance of today's fatigue evaluations for adolescents and young adults, it is indispensable to have simple and rational scales for subjective fatigue symptoms that evaluate fatigue appropriately. Study in this field has been progressing. Although there are various subjective fatigue scales, it is desirable to have detailed evaluations assuming 5 to 7 component factors.In this review, we discuss the definition of fatigue, the significance of fatigue evaluation based on subjective symptoms, and examine the history and component factors of fatigue. Through discussion, it is desirable to conduct more multifaceted research, focusing on the evaluation of subjective fatigue symptoms for adolescents and young adults.

Physical Performance, Body Weight and BMI of Young Adults in Germany 2000 - 2004: Results of the Physical-Fitness-Test Study

In westernized countries the sedentary lifestyle in conjunction with a hypercaloric diet has caused an increase in the number of obese adults. Moreover, recent studies suggest that the prevalence of overweight in children increased during the last decade. However, the literature has to be interpreted with some caution since the majority of epidemiological studies examining health, fitness, and obesity rely on self-reported data rather than measurements. A further limitation is that most studies examine either physical activity or nutrition, only few deal with both aspects simultaneously. In the present study we analyzed both aspects in more than 58,000 persons aged between 17 and 26 years. All of them were applicants for the German Bundeswehr, which accepts only volunteers with school leaving certificates and a body mass index (BMI) below 30 kg . m (-2). The admitted subjects performed a Physical-Fitness-Test (PFT) consisting of 5 simple sport tests (shuttle run, sit-ups, push-ups, standing jump, Cooper test). For 23 000 subjects additional measurements of body height and body weight as well as information about their education level were available. These data were combined with the PFT results. We found large deficits in the physical fitness of young adults: More than 37 % of the participants failed to pass the PFT, with failure rates of the male volunteers increasing significantly since 2001. While the female volunteers showed virtually constant body weight and BMI, the corresponding values of men increased monotonously between the age of 17 and 26 years. Physical fitness was positively, BMI negatively correlated with education level. The present findings suggest that body weight increases and fitness decreases in non-obese young adults in Germany. Despite the correlations between BMI and physical fitness the terms "overweight" and "physically unfit" should not be regarded as synonyms.

PRE-ENLISTMENT LIFESTYLE AND PHYSICAL FITNESS OF YOUNG SINGAPOREAN MALE ADULTS

A questionnaire was administered to 3174 newly enlisted recruits. The survey assessed the recruits' lifestyle with regard to physical activity and exercise prior to enlisment, his attitudes and motivations. Fitness levels were defined by the type of award attained at the National Physical Fitness Test (NAPFA) conducted in schools prior to enlistment. Those who attained at least a “Silver” award were categorised as “fit” those who failed were “unfit”. Obesity was defined by a medical classification system based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and skinfold measurements. Those who had body fat levels above 30% were classified as “Obese”. The study found that age, type of educational institution enrolled, race, family income and type of housing influenced physical activity patterns, fitness levels and obesity. Low family income (< S$1000), residence in smaller-sized flats, increased age (> 19y) and being non-Chinese were associated with being less fit and overweight. Participation in physically active extra-curricular activities did not influence obesity in young male adults. It had a positive influence on physical fitness of young adults who were not obese. The type of educational institute and the presence of a Physical Education curriculum were positively associated with fitness levels. Those coming from schools with a compulsory Physical Education programme and fitness testing had a greater chance of attaining a “Silver” award in the NAPFA test. A positive attitude toward Physical Education classes was associated with better NAPFA scores. “Self-motivation” and “Sports celebrity” were reported to be the most significant motivators to participate regularly in sports and exercise. The most popular mode of exercise were reported to be jogging, weight training and outdoor sports and games. A greater understanding of physical activity patterns in Singaporean males is essential in the formulation of national initiatives for active living in the community.