scholarly journals Secular trends in health-related physical fitness among 11–14-year-old Croatian children and adolescents from 1999 to 2014

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Kasović ◽  
Lovro Štefan ◽  
Vilko Petrić
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Upper Body Strength ◽  
Lower Body Power

AbstractThe main purpose of the study was to analyze secular trends of health-related physical fitness in 7–14-year-old Croatian children and adolescents from 1999 and 2014. In this observational cross-sectional study, we recruited 5077 children and adolescents between ages 11 and 14 (50.8% girls) from five primary schools located in the capital city of Zagreb. Physical fitness performance was tested from 1999 until 2014. Physical fitness performance included: (1) body-mass index (measure of body size), (2) standing broad jump (measure of lower-body power), (3) polygon backwards (measure of general coordination and agility), (4) sit-ups in 60 s (measure of upper-body strength), (5) sit-and-reach test (measure of flexibility) and (6) 6-min run test (measure of cardiorespiratory fitness). Boys performed better in all physical fitness tests, except for sit-and-reach test (p < 0.001). In boys, between 1999 and 2014, body size, upper-body strength and coordination/agility increased, while flexibility, lower-body power and cardiorespiratory fitness decreased. During the same period, girls experienced an increase in body size, lower-body power, upper-body strength, coordination/agility and flexibility, while cardiorespiratory fitness decreased. This study shows that cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility and coordination/agility decrease, while upper-body strength increases in both sexes. These findings should serve as an avenue for national monitoring system to screen and track biological development in children and adolescents.

Associations of Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain With Physical Fitness in Childhood

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 165-171
Author(s):  
Konstantinos D. Tambalis ◽  
Stamatis Mourtakos ◽  
Labros S. Sidossis
Keyword(s):  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Gestational Weight ◽  
Prepregnancy Body Mass Index ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Fitness Tests ◽  
Upper Body Strength ◽  
Lower Body Strength

Purpose: To investigate the potential associations of maternal prepregnancy body mass index (mppBMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) with physical fitness in children. Methods: A random sample of 5125 children and their mothers was evaluated. The mothers provided data contained in their medical booklets and pregnancy ultrasound records. The data from 5 physical fitness tests (eg, 20-m shuttle run, 30-m sprint, vertical jump, standing long jump, and small ball throw) were used to assess children’s cardiorespiratory fitness, speed, explosive power, and lower and upper body strength, respectively. Results: MppBMI was inversely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (b = −0.02), lower body strength (b = −1.01), upper body strength (b = −0.07), and speed (b = 0.04). Also, GWG was unfavorably associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (b = −0.02), lower body strength (b = −1.12), upper body strength (b = −0.03), and speed (b = 0.03), after adjusting for sex, birth weight, and children’s BMI (all P values < .05). Children of mothers with an mppBMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and excess GWG had almost 30% and 20% increased odds for low performances in physical fitness tests than those of mothers with an mppBMI < 25 kg/m2 and adequate GWG, respectively. Conclusions: Antenatal factors such as increased mppBMI and excess GWG could play an unfavorable role in the future health of the offspring.

scholarly journals Field-Based Health-Related Physical Fitness Tests in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adilson Marques ◽  
Duarte Henriques-Neto ◽  
Miguel Peralta ◽  
João Martins ◽  
Fernando Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Upper Body Strength

Physical fitness (PF) is a multi-component construct and a biomarker of health. Worse PF is related to vulnerability and predicts worse academic achievements. Thus, assessing PF is important to monitor health in youth. This systematic review aimed to identify and inform physical education, health professionals and entities about existing PF batteries and field-tests that can be used in school settings. A comprehensive literature search was carried out in five electronic databases (Academic Search Complete, Education Resources Information Center, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to identify PF battery protocols that can be carried out in the school setting. Overall, 24 PF batteries were identified. Regarding the PF components assessed, only cardiorespiratory fitness and upper body strength were contemplated in all batteries. Middle-body strength and lower body strength were presented in most batteries (21 and 19 of 24, respectively). Agility (16 of 24) and body composition (16 of 24) were also considered in several batteries, although to a lesser extent. Flexibility (14 of 24) and speed (12 of 24) were the PF components less represented in the batteries. Among the 24 identified PF batteries, 81 PF tests assessing the different PF components were encountered. The advances in the PF field-based assessment in school settings and health in youth resulted in the amplification of the number of existing batteries. Considering the connection between PF and health and the opportunity that the school setting provides to assess fitness in children and adolescents, there is a need for standardization and a consensus of PF assessments in this specific setting.

Birth Weight was Favorably Associated With Physical Fitness in Childhood After Adjustment for Several Perinatal Factors

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Konstantinos D. Tambalis ◽  
Stamatis Mourtakos ◽  
Labros S. Sidossis
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Infant Growth ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Perinatal Factors ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Upper Body Strength

Background: The purpose was to examine the potential associations of birth weight and infant growth with physical fitness (PF) components in childhood. Method: A random sample of 5125 dyads of children aged 8–9 years and their mothers were evaluated. Telephone interviews were carried out with the use of a standardized questionnaire for the collection of maternal lifestyle factors. Mothers were asked to provide information contained in their medical booklets and pregnancy ultrasound records. Data from 5 PF tests were used to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, speed, and body strength. Linear regression analysis was applied to assess the associations between birth weight and infant growth with PF test performances and logistic regression analysis to evaluate the associations of normal weight versus low birth weight and normal versus accelerated infant growth with PF tests performance categories (low vs high/average). Results: Birth weight was favorably associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (b = 0.12 stage increase per SD increase in birth weight, P = .047), lower body strength (b = 1.07, P = .037), upper body strength (b = 0.10, P = .038), and speed (b = −0.04, P = .001), and infant growth was associated with upper body strength (b = 0.21 cm increase per SD increase in infant weight gain, P < .001) after adjusting for children’s body mass index and several perinatal factors. Low birth weight children had 35% increased odds for low performances in PF tests compared with their normal birth weight counterparts. Conclusion: Low birth weight negatively affects childhood PF, and hence, it could play an unfavorable role in the future health of the offspring.

Comparison of Anthropometry, Upper-Body Strength, and Lower-Body Power Characteristics in Different Levels of Australian Football Players

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 826-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johann C. Bilsborough ◽  
Kate G. Greenway ◽  
David A. Opar ◽  
Steuart G. Livingstone ◽  
Justin T. Cordy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Upper Body ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Power Characteristics ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Australian Football ◽  
Upper Body Strength ◽  
Lower Body Power ◽  
Different Levels

Influence Of Lower Body Resistance Training On Upper Body Strength Adaptations In Trained Men.

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 933-934
Author(s):  
Sandro Bartolomei ◽  
Jay R. Hoffman ◽  
Jeffrey R. Stout ◽  
Franco Merni
Keyword(s):  
Resistance Training ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Upper Body Strength ◽  
Body Resistance

Effect of Lower-Body Resistance Training on Upper-Body Strength Adaptation in Trained Men

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandro Bartolomei ◽  
Jay R. Hoffman ◽  
Jeffrey R. Stout ◽  
Franco Merni
Keyword(s):  
Resistance Training ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Upper Body Strength ◽  
Body Resistance

Muscular and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Homeschool versus Public School Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura S. Kabiri ◽  
Katy Mitchell ◽  
Wayne Brewer ◽  
Alexis Ortiz
Keyword(s):  
Public School ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
School Children ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Muscular Fitness ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Type Method ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Upper Body Strength ◽  
And Gender

Purpose:The growth and unregulated structure of homeschooling creates an unknown population in regard to muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness. The purpose of this research was to compare muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness between elementary school aged homeschool and public school children.Method:Homeschool children ages 8–11 years old (n = 75) completed the curl-up, 90° push-up, and Progressive Aerobic Capacity Endurance Run (PACER) portions of the FitnessGram to assess abdominal and upper body strength and endurance as well as cardiorespiratory fitness. Comparisons to public school children (n = 75) were made using t tests and chi-square tests.Results:Homeschool children showed significantly lower abdominal (t(148) = -11.441, p < .001; χ2 (1) = 35.503, p < .001) and upper body (t(148) = -3.610, p < .001; χ2 (1) = 4.881, p = .027) strength and endurance. There were no significant differences in cardiorespiratory fitness by total PACER laps (t(108) = 0.879, p = .381) or estimated VO2max (t(70) = 1.187, p = .239; χ2 (1) = 1.444, p = .486).Conclusion:Homeschool children showed significantly lower levels of both abdominal and upper body muscular fitness compared with their age and gender matched public school peers but no difference in cardiorespiratory fitness.

scholarly journals Masculine voices signal men's threat potential in forager and industrial societies

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1728) ◽  
pp. 601-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Puts ◽  
Coren L. Apicella ◽  
Rodrigo A. Cárdenas
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Acoustic Parameter ◽  
Acoustic Properties ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Sexual Dimorphisms ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
The Us ◽  
Upper Body Strength ◽  
Industrial Societies

Humans and many non-human primates exhibit large sexual dimorphisms in vocalizations and vocal anatomy. In humans, same-sex competitors and potential mates attend to acoustic features of male vocalizations, but vocal masculinity especially increases perceptions of physical prowess. Yet, the information content of male vocalizations remains obscure. We therefore examined relationships between sexually dimorphic acoustic properties and men's threat potential. We first introduce a new measure of the structure of vocal formant frequencies, ‘formant position’ ( P f ), which we show is more sexually dimorphic and more strongly related to height than is the most widely used measure of formant structure, ‘formant dispersion’, in both a US sample and a sample of Hadza foragers from Tanzania. We also show large sexual dimorphisms in the mean fundamental frequency ( F 0 ) and the within-utterance standard deviation in F 0 ( F 0 − s.d.) in both samples. We then explore relationships between these acoustic parameters and men's body size, strength, testosterone and physical aggressiveness. Each acoustic parameter was related to at least one measure of male threat potential. The most dimorphic parameters, F 0 and P f , were most strongly related to body size in both samples. In the US sample, F 0 predicted testosterone levels, P f predicted upper body strength and F 0 − s.d. predicted physical aggressiveness.

scholarly journals The Physiological Assessment and Analysis of the Physical Demand of Riding a Snowmobile

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 857-864
Author(s):  
Tania Pereira ◽  
John Durocher ◽  
Jamie Burr
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Location ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Muscular Fatigue ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Physical Demands ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Insufficient Physical Activity ◽  
Upper Body Strength ◽  
Lower Body Power

Background: Insufficient physical activity (PA) is associated with numerous chronic diseases and premature mortality, and the challenge of meeting recommended PA guidelines is exacerbated in the winter. Snowmobiling can potentially contribute to PA accumulation, but the objective metabolic and physical demands are unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the physical demands of riding a snowmobile. Methods: Habitual snowmobile riders responded to a survey describing a typical ride (n = 4015). Using this data, terrain-specific testing courses were created, and recreational snowmobile riders (n = 40) participated in a scaled representative ride (21 [8] min) while aerobic metabolism (VO2) and muscular fatigue were quantified. Results: The mean VO2 while riding, irrespective of terrain, was 18.5 (8.4) mL·kg−1·min−1, with significant differences based on geographic location (13.4 [5.2] vs 25.7 [6.6] mL·kg−1·min−1, P < .001). Muscular fatigue was apparent in maximal handgrip (−7% [8%], P < .001) across both riding terrains, but not lower body power, suggesting a greater influence of an upper body strength component. Conclusions: Snowmobiling is an activity that generally falls within the moderate-intensity activity range and involves both aerobic fitness and muscular strength. There were substantial differences in demand between terrains, suggesting that additional benefits may be conferred from mountain riding as it was more metabolically demanding.

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