Abstract The 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.
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ABSTRACTŠtefan, L, Kasović, M, and Culej, M. Normative values for health-related physical fitness in first-year police officers. J Strength Cond Res XX(X)000–000, 2020—The main aim of the study was ...to develop normative values for health-related physical fitness tests in first-year police officers. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 773 police officers aged 19–28 years old (mean age ± SD = 22 ± 3 years, 34% women). Health-related physical fitness included(a) polygon backwards (agility), (b) standing broad jump (explosive power of lower extremities), (c) sit-and-reach test (flexibility), and (d) 2.4 km run (aerobic capacity). In addition, maximal oxygen uptake (VCombining Dot AboveO2max) was calculated. Sex- and age-specific centile smoothed curves for the 20th, 40th, 60, and 80th percentiles using Coleʼs LMS method were created. The results showed that men performed better in all health-related physical fitness tests (p < 0.001), compared with women. The median values for polygon backwards, standing broad jump, sit-and-reach test, 2.4 km run and VCombining Dot AboveO2max were 8 seconds, 210, 15 cm, 721 seconds and 49 mlO2·kg·min in men and 10 seconds, 165, 10 cm, 915 seconds and 39 mlO2·kg·min in women. No significant interaction between age and health-related physical fitness was observed. This study provides sex- and age-specific normative values for health-related physical fitness in police officers. Findings from this study may be used in detecting a group of police officers who have lower levels of physical fitness. Thus, policies aiming to enhance the level of physical fitness could be implemented within the system.
The main purpose of the study was to analyze the associations between health-related physical fitness and fasting blood glucose in war veterans. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 764 men ...and women aged 45-75 years, who were part of the Homeland War between 1990 and 1995 (33.5% women). Health-related physical fitness included: (1) fat mass and fat-free mass (body composition), (2) push-ups in 30 s (muscular dynamic endurance of upper extremities), (3) sit-ups in 30 s (repetitive upper body strength), (4) chair-stands in 30 s (lower body strength), (5) sit-and-reach test (flexibility) and (6) the 2-min step test (cardiorespiratory function). Laboratory measurement of fasting blood glucose was performed according to standardized procedures in resting seated position after a 12-h overnight fast. Generalized estimating equations with multiple regression models were used to calculate the associations between health-related physical fitness and fasting blood glucose. In men, fasting blood glucose was significantly correlated with fat-free mass (β = - 0.25, p < 0.001), push-ups in 30 s (β = - 0.55, p < 0.001), chair-stands in 30 s (β = - 0.50, p < 0.001), sit-ups in 30 s (r = - 0.45, p < 0.001), the sit-and reach test (r = - 0.46, p < 0.001) and the 2-min step test (r = - 0.19, p < 0.001), while fat mass was positively correlated with fasting blood glucose (β = 0.14, p = 0.004). In women, fasting blood glucose was significantly correlated with fat mass (β = 0.20, p = 0.002), fat-free mass (β = - 0.15, p = 0.014), push-ups in 30 s (β = - 0.49, p < 0.001), chair-stands in 30 s (β = - 0.43, p < 0.001), sit-ups in 30 s (β = - 0.52, p < 0.001), the sit-and reach test (β = - 0.40, p < 0.001) and the 2-min step test (β = - 0.35, p < 0.001). This study shows that fasting blood glucose may be predicted by health-related physical fitness test in war veterans.
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Although defining normative values of cardiorespiratory fitness have been the topic of many Western societies, little evidence has been provided for less developed countries like Croatia. Since ...cardiorespiratory fitness rapidly declines in Croatian children and adolescents, the newly established normative values would help health-related professionals and physical education teachers to detect 'talented' groups and direct them towards sport and 'risky' groups for planning special interventions. Therefore, the main purpose of the study was to determine normative reference values of cardiorespiratory fitness. A total of 1,612 children and adolescents aged 7-14 years (mean±SD; age 9.7±2.4 years; stature 151.0±17.6 cm; body mass 45.1±19.1 kg; 52.5% girls) participated in this cross-sectional study. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the Maximal multistage 20-m shuttle run test and the performance was expressed as the number of stages. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was estimated by equations. Smoothed percentile curves were calculated. Boys outperformed girls in the maximal number of levels achieved after the 20-m shuttle run test and in the VO2max values at each age category. In boys, a gradually higher level of performance between ages 11 and 14 was observed, while in girls the values started to rise after the age of 8. Our study provides one of the first sex- and age-specific normative values for cardiorespiratory fitness assessed by the 20-m shuttle run test in Croatian children and adolescents.
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The purpose of the present study was to determine the test-retest reliability of the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) questionnaire in college students. Two hundred and seventy-six college ...students (127 men, 46%; 149 women, 54%; mean age 19.70 ± 1.32 years; mean height 1.75 ± 0.09 m; mean weight 69.28 ± 13.84 kg; mean body-mas index 22.41 ± 3.19 kg/m²) participated in the study. To investigate the reliability of the KIDMED questionnaire, the participants were asked to complete the questionnaire on two occasions two weeks apart, stratified by gender. Kappa statistics showed moderate to excellent agreement (ranging from 0.504 to 0.849) in the total sample and moderate to excellent agreement in both men (ranging from 0.467 to 0.803) and women (ranging from 0.435 to 0.927). Results in the total KIDMED score showed a moderate correlation between two occasions inthe total sample (κ = 0.597,
< 0.001) and in women (κ = 0.586,
< 0.001) and a good correlation in men (κ = 0.611,
< 0.001). Our study shows that the KIDMED questionnaire is a reliable instrument for assessing adherence to the Mediterranean diet in college students. Future studies should focus on investigating the reliability of the questionnaire in other countries and in different age groups for generating comparable data.
The main purpose of the study was to establish foot characteristics during walking in children. In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 1 284 primary-school students aged 6-14 years (714 boys and ...570 girls) randomly selected from five schools in the city of Brno, Czech Republic. Children walked across a pressure platform (EMED-xl; Novel
, Munich, Germany) to collect the data for both left and right foot during three trials. After the procedure, the software generated several foot characteristic variables: (1) force-time integral, (2) pressure-time integral, (3) contact area, (4) contact time, (5) peak pressure and (6) average pressure for the total foot. Curves for the 5
, 10
, 25
, 50
, 75
, 90
and 95
percentiles were calculated using the Lambda, Mu and Sigma (LMS) Chartmaker software. Our results showed that boys had longer force-time integral, higher contact area and contact time values, and higher peak plantar pressure, while no significant differences in pressure-time integral and average plantar pressure between sexes were observed. Older boys and girls had higher values in all measured variables. Our results provide for the first-time sex- and age-specific foot characteristics during walking in 6-14-year-old children.
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This study aimed to determine the associations between the self-reported sleep duration and self-rated health in young adults.
In this cross-sectional study, participants were 689 young adults (mean ...age 20 ± 1.35 years, 49.8% female). Sleep duration and self-rated health, as the main outcome of interest, were measured as self-reported. As potential covariates, we included sex, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, sedentary behavior, psychological distress, and body mass index.
Approximately 30% of participants slept 7-8 hours, 17.4% were short sleepers (categories < 6 hours and 6-7 hours), and 53.9% were long sleepers (categories 8-10 hours and > 10 hours of sleep). In an unadjusted model, compared with the reference category (7-8 hours of sleep), those who slept < 6 hours (odds ratio 0.20; 95% confidence interval 0.08 to 0.48) and between 6-7 hours (odds ratio 0.43; 95% confidence interval 0.26 to 0.69) were less likely to have good self-rated health. In an adjusted model, short (< 7 hours) and long sleep (> 10 hours) were both associated with poor self-rated health.
Our results suggest that both short (< 7 hours) and long (> 10 hours) sleepers have lower odds of having good self-rated health after adjusting for potential covariates. Health professionals should pay more attention to young adults, who have both short and long period of sleep, in order to prevent health problems and potential acute or chronic diseases.
High-intensity intermittent performance in soccer is widely assessed using the yo-yo intermittent recovery level 2 test (YYIR2). This test is usually associated with aerobic-anaerobic performance. ...However, less is known about the direct or indirect contributions of abilities, including the anaerobic component. This study aims to propose a three-level model of factors contributing to YYIR2 performance, based on the investigation of relationships with aerobic endurance, repeated-sprint ability (RSA), and the linear and change-of-direction speed and power variables. Eighteen soccer players performed the YYIR2, with a 20-m shuttle run test (20mSR), an RSA test with change-of-direction, 5-m and 20-m sprints, and a 505 test, countermovement jump, squat jump, and drop jump. The results showed a significant relationship between the YYIR2 distance and the 20mSR distance (
= 0.721,
= 0.001), as well as with the RSA test mean time (
= -0.594,
= 0.009). In the second level, the 20mSR distance performance was not associated with any of the speed and power variables. However, the RSA test mean time correlated with the 5-m sprint (
= 0.587,
= 0.010), 20-m sprint (
= 0.702,
= 0.001), and 505 test (
= 0.585
= 0.011) performance. In the third level, the 20-m sprint time was related to the squat jump (
= -0.577
= 0.012) and countermovement jump (
= -0.768
< 0.001) heights. In addition to aerobic endurance, this study highlights the importance of the anaerobic component in YYIR2 performance. More specifically, aerobic endurance (52%) and RSA (36%) are the main determinants of YYIR2 performance. Subsequently, the RSA performance is determined by the linear (34-49%) and change-of-direction speed (35%), while the explosive power of lower limbs contributes to sprinting performance (33-59%). Coaches should focus on the development of these abilities to improve the high-intensity intermittent performance of soccer players.
Although evidence suggests that functional endurance capacity is the most important component associated with future health, little is known of how it is associated with multiple other physical ...fitness components. Since various physical fitness aspects do not change the same as functional endurance capacity during childhood, it is necessary to establish possible associations between functional endurance capacity and other physical fitness components in children. Therefore, the main purpose of the study was to test the associations between functional endurance capacity with other physical fitness components in 7-14-year-old children, stratified by gender.
In this cross-sectional study, we recruited 1612 children mean age ± standard deviation (SD) = 9.72 ± 2.37 years; 52.5% girls). Health-related physical fitness components included: 1) body-mass index (kg/m
) calculated from height and weight (measure of body size), 2) sit-and-reach test (measure of flexibility), 3) standing broad jump (measure of explosive strength of lower extremities), 4) sit-ups in 30 s (measure of repetitive strength of the trunk), 5) 10 × 5 shuttle run test (measure of agility) and 6) 20-m shuttle run test (measure of functional endurance capacity). The associations were performed using generalized estimating equations with beta (β) coefficients.
After adjusting for age, functional endurance capacity was associated with sit-and-reach test (β = 0.13, p < 0.001), standing broad jump (β = 0.59, p < 0.001), sit-ups in 30 s (β = 0.53, p < 0.001) and 10 × 5 shuttle run test (β = - 0.56, p < 0.001) in boys. In girls, functional endurance capacity was associated with body-mass index (β = - 0.12, p < 0.001), sit-and-reach test (β = 0.21, p < 0.001), standing broad jump (β = 0.25, p < 0.001), sit-ups in 30 s (β = 0.36, p < 0.001) and 10 × 5 shuttle run test (β = - 0.40, p < 0.001). No significant associations between functional endurance capacity and body-mass index in boys were observed.
Although significant, functional endurance capacity is weakly to moderately associated with other physical fitness components, pointing out that such measure should be tested separately from other aspects of physical fitness in school-aged children.
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Background
The main purpose of the study was to examine whether heavier loads might have an effect on ground reaction forces and plantar pressures.
Methods
Ninety-six elite intervention police ...officers were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Ground reaction forces and plantar pressures beneath the different foot regions were evaluated using Zebris FDM pressure platform, while a graduate increase in load carriage was as following: (i) ‘no load’, (ii) ‘a 5-kg load’, (iii) ‘a 25-kg load’ and (iv) ‘a 45-kg load’.
Results
Carrying heavier loads increased ground reaction forces beneath forefoot and hindfoot regions of both feet, and midfoot region for the right foot. For plantar pressures, increases beneath the hindfoot region of both feet and midfoot region of the right foot were observed, while carrying heavier loads.
Conclusion
This study shows significant increases in both ground reaction forces and plantar pressures, especially beneath the forefoot and hindfoot regions of both feet. Since the largest forces and pressures are produced beneath the hindfoot and forefoot, future research should pay special attention to these regions and their ground absorptions, additionally preventing from muscle and joint injuries.
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