Paauglių berniukų fizinis aktyvumas ir jo sąsajos su sveikata susijusiu fiziniu pajėgumu ; Physical activity among adolescent boys and their relation to health-related physical fittness

The background. The objective methods of measuring physical activity (PA) is used more and more widely in various research, however in Lithuania such type of studies with adolescents are lacking. That’s why the purpose of this study was to analyze the objectively measured adolescent boy’s weekly physical activity and their relation to health-related physical fitness. Methods. The participants of this study were 104 healthy adolescent boys. The physical activity of schoolboys was measured using actigraphs (Tri-axis ActiTrainer Activity Monitors). The level of the intensity of physical activity was determined by calculating energy consumption in METs. Low PA (LPA) equals up to 3 METs, moderate PA (MPA) – 3 – 6 METs, and vigorous PA (VPA) – 8 or more METs. Based on the frequency of vigorous (VPA) and moderate physical activity (MPA) per week, the participants of this study were divided into physical activity groups. For health-related physical fitness assessment were used these tests: body composition (using TANITA Body Analyser, TBF–300); flexibility (sit and reach test, Eurofitas, 2002), power (vertical jump was measured using a jump parameter gauge (SBM-1), muscular strength and endurance (modified push-up test, Suni, Oja, Laukkanen & Vartiainen, 1994). Results. All of the schoolboys had experienced LPA on each of the assessed days. MPA on each day was experienced by 59.6 % of the boys. No participants had achieved VPA on a daily basis. The frequency of MPA and VPA experienced most often was 5 – 7 and 1 – 3 days per week, respectively. Results of body composition indicated, that boys experiencing VPA had lower body fat mass in compare with those who experienced only MPA and LPA (p < 0.05). Analysis of physical fitness results indicated that boys experienced VPA were better in muscular strength and endurance test (p < 0.05), but results of high jump and sit and reach test were not [.].