Search results for "physical fitne"

Motives for competitive sports participation in masters track and field athletes : Impact of sociodemographic factors and competitive background

2022

Objectives Masters athletes due to their lifelong engagement in sport represent a unique group to study motivation for regular physical activity, but there is less scientific data on the sport motives in masters athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association of age, sex, education, nationality, competitive background and training amount with sport motives of masters track and field athletes. Methods 811 (254 women) athletes aged 35–89 years participated in European Veterans Athletics Championships in the year of 2000. Sport motives were assessed with a questionnaire and categorized into1) well-being, 2) competitive and performance 3) health and fitness motives. R…

Physical fitness and anthropometrics in Finnish soldiers during their early career: prospective changes during a 3-year follow-up.

2020

IntroductionPhysical fitness is a fundamental capability required of military personnel, but studies focusing on longitudinal changes in physical fitness and anthropometrics in soldiers are lacking. The aim was to evaluate physical fitness and anthropometrics in soldiers during their early career.MethodsA 3-year prospective study included 180 male soldiers (baseline age 26±2 years) with measures of a 12 min running test, standing long jump, sit-up and push-up tests, and body mass, height and waist circumference (WC). Baseline data were stratified into tertiles, and the changes within each tertile were analysed using dependent t-tests and analysis of variance.Results12 min running test dista…

Effects of Task-Specific and Strength Training on Simulated Military Task Performance in Soldiers.

2020

A soldier’s occupational physical task requirements are diverse and varied. However, the type of physical training that most effectively improves soldiers’ occupational task requirements has not been studied previously. The purpose of this study was to determine the important strength characteristics for soldiers during a repeated simulated military task course, and the type of training that may be effective to improve these abilities during a specialized military training period. Forty-two (n = 42) soldiers participated in the study. They were divided into three training groups; a soldier task-specific training group (TSG, n = 17), a strength training group (STG, n = 15), and a control gro…

Association between resting blood pressure and maximal blood pressure response to exercise and arterial health

2022

We investigated the longitudinal associations of blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, and arterial stiffness among children. Arterial stiffening has been repeatedly shown to be a cardiovascular mortality predictor and can be observed early in childhood. As such, it is crucial to understand whether a child’s blood pressure, fitness level, and body composition can predict early signs of atherosclerosis and arterial stiffening. The current study examined the relationship between blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, and arterial stiffness over time in children, using data from the Physical and Nutrition in Children (PANIC) Study. It is a physical and dietary intervention study condu…

Longitudinal and cross-sectional associations of adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines with cardiometabolic risk

2022

This study aimed to examine 1) adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines over a 2-year follow-up in children aged 6-8 years and 2) association of this adherence with cardiometabolic risk factors. Physical activity and sleep were assessed by a monitor combining heart rate and accelerometry measurements. Screen time was reported by the parents. Body fat percentage, waist circumference, blood glucose, serum insulin, plasma lipids and blood pressure were assessed, and a cardiometabolic risk score was calculated using z-scores. Children were classified as meeting the guidelines if they had on average ≥60min/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during the valid days; ≤120min/day of screen…

Contrasts in fitness, motor competence and physical activity among children involved in single or multiple sports

2021

Abstract Study aim: While there is wide debate around specialization in one sport, there is a lack of information about fitness levels and motor competence of children participating in single or multiple sports. Material and methods: The study involved 358 fifth-grade children who participated in a set of health-related fitness and motor competence tests over two consecutive years. A subsample of children (n = 109) wore an accelerometer for seven consecutive days. The independent samples t-test and ANCOVA were used to compare differences between single and multi-sport participants in study variables and changes between baseline and follow-up. Results: Multi-sport participants performed bett…

Players with high physical fitness are at greater risk of injury in youth football.

2022

The aim of this study was to investigate physical fitness, football-specific skills and their association with injury risk in youth football. Altogether 447 male and female players aged 9 to 14 years (median 12 years) participated in performance tests and prospective follow-up. The physical fitness tests included five-jump test for distance, 30-m sprint, football-specific figure of eight agility, countermovement jump, and Yo-Yo intermittent endurance test level 1. The football-specific skill tests included dribbling and passing tests. Injuries and exposure were registered during the 20-week follow-up. Our candidate risk factors were low/high level of physical fitness measured with a composi…

Hip and wrist accelerometers showed consistent associations with fitness and fatness in children aged 8‐12 years

2020

Aim. Physical activity (PA) has traditionally been measured wearing accelerometers on the hip, but they are increasingly being worn on the wrist. We compared hip and wrist accelerometers with regard to their acceptability and any associations between PA and fatness and fitness. Methods. This cross‐sectional study comprised 103 children aged 8‐12 years (62% boys) who participated in the ActiveBrains trial by the University of Granada, Spain, in 2014‐2016. The children wore both ActiGraph GT3X+ hip and wrist accelerometers round the clock for seven days. The acceptability of both placements was evaluated by a questionnaire, while the children' fat mass index, waist circumference, and cardiore…

An evaluation of a 2-km walking test in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

1999

Factors behind Leisure-Time Physical Activity Behavior Based on Finnish Twin Studies: The Role of Genetic and Environmental Influences and the Role o…

2014

Different approaches are being taken to clarify the role of various factors in the development of physical activity behaviors. Genetic studies are a new area of physical activity research and also the motives for physical activity have been widely studied. The purpose of this paper is to review the findings emerging from the longitudinal genetic studies on leisure-time physical activity and to evaluate the associations between motivational factors and leisure-time physical activity. The focus is to review recent findings of longitudinal Finnish twin studies. The results of the latest longitudinal Finnish twin studies point to the existence of age-specific genetic and environmental influence…