Assessment of Physical Fitness in Medical Students

Introduction: Physical activity promotes cerebral blood flow during cognitive tasks and possibly enhances performance. It is relevant to find relationship between post exercise recovery heart rate (RHR) and resting pulse rate in medical students. Aims: To assess physical fitness in medical students. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 57 consenting healthy medical students, age 1730 years, underwent 3-Minutes Step Test to assess their physical fitness. Students were divided into four fitness groups based on RHR; good (n=9, RHR=50-84 bpm), satisfactory (n=17, RHR=88-100 bpm), poor (n=12, RHR=102-107 bpm), and very poor (n= 19, RHR=111-157 bpm) groups. The groups were compared using one-way ANOVA. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Results showed that there were few numbers of students who fall in good fitness group (n= 9, Resting pulse rate mean 72.00 ± 9.29) in comparison to satisfactory fitness group (n= 17, Resting pulse rate mean (68.35 ± 5.95), poor fitness group (n= 12, Resting pulse rate mean 75.67 ± 6.88) and very poor fitness group (n=19, Resting pulse rate mean 78.89 ± 7.67). The level of significance between satisfactory fitness group and very poor fitness group, p <0.05 was statistically significant. Conclusion: Most of the medical students fall under very poor fitness group. Satisfactory fitness group have less resting pulse rate in compare to very poor fitness group of medical students.

Cardiometabolic health profile of young girls with aesthetic professions

Background In the literature, professions that impose body standards for daily performance are designated as non-conventional professions (i.e. models, athletes, ballet dancers), with great emphasis on the female population. More than a job, it becomes a lifestyle to those inserted in this environment, thus, thousands of children and adolescents seek inclusion and success in these professions due to financial and media gains. Such professions are associated with several health-related risk factors. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare among physical fitness levels, cardiometabolic health markers, mental health and dietary habits in non-conventional professions. Methods The sample consisted of 41 female individuals aged between 14 and 24 years, allocated into four groups, control group composed by university students (UG = 11), models (MG = 11), ballet dancers (BG = 11), and athletes’ group (AG = 8). Physical fitness outcomes (cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, maximal dynamic strength, muscular endurance and body composition); biochemical outcomes (high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], total cholesterol [TC], fasting glucose [FG], fasting insulin [FI], C-reactive protein [CRP]), diet quality and mental health were evaluated. Results No impairments were observed in the health markers evaluated among groups, both for health-related physical fitness and biochemical outcomes. However, low levels of bone mineral density (BMD) were observed. Even with statistically significant differences between the groups for chronological age (p = 0.002), menarche (p = 0.004), career length (p = 0.001), height (p = 0.001), body mass index (p = 0.018), waist-to-height ratio (p < 0.001), %Fat (p = 0.020), VO2peak (p = 0.020), maximal dynamic strength of knee extensors (p = 0.031) and elbow flexors (p = 0,001) and flexibility (p < 0.001), all these values are within the normal range for health. Conclusion The professions analyzed do not seem to interfere in the physical fitness and cardiometabolic health of the girls assessed. However, we identified that exposure to these profession can impair mental health (depressive symptoms in 100% of participants) and body composition (BMD 63% of participants).

Analysis on the Influence of Students’ Health Quality Based on Intelligent Optimization of Sports Facilities and Equipment

Physical health promotion has always been a way for schools to pay close attention to and devote resources to their students’ development, physical fitness, and social adaptability. To promote the improvement of students’ overall physical quality, we must begin with the foundation and school physical education. This study proposes an improved K-means algorithm based on an analysis of the influencing factors of intelligent optimization of sports facilities and equipment on students’ health quality. Clustering analysis is carried out based on two groups of data classified as boys and girls, using the improved K-means algorithm. The findings reveal that the average change trend of physical fitness test items in each male cluster is generally similar, with a moderate change. The change in the average score of physical fitness test items for each cluster of girls in the group showed two distinct valleys, and the trend was complicated. This necessitates schools to invest funds to construct venues and purchase equipment in order to increase the number of sporting events.

Comparative study on the validity of monitoring test indexes of healthy fitness cardiopulmonary track and field sensor

With the continuous increase in social pressure and people’s higher urgency for physical health, the concept of healthy physical fitness has become more and more important and prominent. However, the research and standards for the validity of the health fitness monitoring test indicators have not been determined. In order to compare the validity of the health fitness test indicators, we adopt the cardiopulmonary track and field sensor technology to monitor the health fitness cardiopulmonary track and field sensor. A comparative study on the validity of test indicators, mainly to test the rationality of the cardiopulmonary endurance evaluation indicators of healthy physical fitness, and to carry out a new design of the concept of healthy physical fitness in track and field teaching, so that it is more inclined to improve the healthy physical fitness of athletes fitness. Research data shows that the average absolute value of the athlete’s maximum oxygen consumption is 2.51 L/min, the highest value is 3.96 L/min, and the lowest is 2.03 L/min. The average value of the absolute maximum oxygen consumption of girls is 1.79 L/min, the highest value is 2.89 L/min, and the minimum is 1.51 L/min. From these data, we can know that compared with traditional cardiopulmonary monitoring methods, the sensor monitoring studied in this paper has higher accuracy and wider application range. The peak cardiopulmonary power of athletes’ cardiopulmonary function detection using this method is closer to the actual value, while for the peak cardiopulmonary power detected by traditional methods, there is a big difference between the power and the actual value. For different athletes, the advantages of the algorithm in this paper are more obvious, indicating that the method in this paper has a higher detection accuracy for the cardiopulmonary function test of athletes during aerobic training.

Measurement of Physical Fitness and 24/7 Physical Activity, Standing, Sedentary Behavior, and Time in Bed in Working-Age Finns: Study Protocol for FINFIT 2021

Background: Population studies gathering measured data on fitness and physical behavior, covering physical activity, standing, sedentary behavior, and time in bed, are scarce. This article describes the protocol of the FINFIT 2021 study that measures fitness and physical behavior in a population-based sample of adults and analyzes their associations and dose–response relationships with several health indicators. Methods: The study comprises a stratified random sample of 20–69-year-old men and women (n = 16,500) from seven city-centered regions in Finland. Physical behavior is measured 24/7 by tri-axial accelerometry and analyzed with validated MAD-APE algorithms. Health and fitness examinations include fasting blood samples, measurements of blood pressure, anthropometry, and health-related fitness. Domains of health, functioning, well-being, and socio-demographics are assessed by a questionnaire. The data are being collected between September 2021 and February 2022. Discussion: The study provides population data on physical fitness and physical behavior 24/7. Physical behavior patterns by intensity and duration on an hour-by-hour basis will be provided. In the future, the baseline data will be assessed against prospective register-based data on incident diseases, healthcare utilization, sickness absence, premature retirement, and death. A similar study will be conducted every fourth year with a new random population sample.

Temporal trends in the physical fitness of Hong Kong adolescents between 1998 and 2015

Low physical fitness in adolescence is linked with increased cardiometabolic risk and early all-cause mortality. This study aimed to estimate temporal trends in the physical fitness of Hong Kong adolescents aged 12–17 years between 1998 and 2015. Physical fitness (9-min run/walk, sit-ups, push-ups, and sit-and-reach) and body size data in a total of 28,059 adolescents tested across five population-representative surveys of Hong Kong secondary school pupils, were reported. Temporal trends in means were estimated at the gender-age level by best-fitting sample-weighted linear regression, with national trends estimated by a post-stratified population-weighting procedure. Overall, there were small declines in 9-min run/walk (effect size (ES) = 0.29 (95%CI: 0.32, 0.26)) and sit-ups performance (ES = 0.24 (95%CI: 0.27, 0.21)), with negligible changes in push-ups and sit-and-reach performance. There were small concurrent increases in both mean height and body mass, with a negligible increase in sum of skinfolds. Trends in mean physical fitness and body size/ were not always uniform across the population distribution. The small declines in mean 9-min run/walk and sit-ups performance for Hong Kong adolescents are suggestive of corresponding declines in cardiorespiratory fitness and abdominal/core endurance, respectively. Increased national health promotion strategies are required to improve existing fitness trends.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT STUDENTS AT DIFFERENT MOTOR MODES

The article examines the results of physical fitness of first, second and third year students, who are engaged in the group of sports improvement in athletics and volleyball

Frame running to confidence: the athlete-perceived impact of an adapted physical activity on aspects of physical fitness, functional mobility and psychosocial outcomes

Objective: Frame Running (RaceRunning) allows people with moderate-to-severe mobility impairments to participate in physical activity using a 3-wheeled frame with a saddle and handlebars. The aim of this study was to investigate athlete-perceived impact of Frame Running on aspects of physical fitness, functional mobility and psychosocial outcomes. Design: Survey. Participants: Frame Running athletes aged 5 years and over. Methods: A survey was distributed to athletes through their club or sports organization. Results: The survey was completed by 115 athletes (53 females). Median age was 17 years (range 5–62 years) and 64 (57%) used a wheelchair or walker for distances over 50 m. Many felt that Frame Running stretched their muscles (n=93, 87%) and increased their self-confidence (n=63, 93%). Four (4%) reported extreme fatigue or sore muscles after training (n=17, 15%). Of the 110 athletes who had been participating in Frame Running for over 3 months, 46 (47%) reported being less out of breath during mobility tasks and 66 (66%) felt they had improved their functional mobility. However, 7 (7%) reported increased muscle tightness and 4 (4%) reported a Frame Running-related injury lasting more than 4 weeks. Conclusion: Frame Running is a safe physical activity with athlete-perceived benefits on physical fitness, functional mobility and psychosocial outcomes.