Study aim: To assess the relations between anthropometric and cardio-respiratory indices, and aerobic capacity of students, differing in the level of physical activity, under resting and exercise conditions.Material and methods: A group of 87 male and 75 female students volunteered to participate in the study. Their physical activity was evaluated by Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall questionnaire. Anthropometric (body height and mass, body fat content, BMI and WHR) and physiological indices (heart rate, blood pressure, O2max, CO2 and minute ventilation) were recorded. Body fat content was determined using a BIA device; respiratory data were recorded in a cycle ergometer test. The subjects were classified by their O2max values into ‘high’ or ‘low’ categories, the cut-off values of lower and upper quartiles serving as criteria.Results: Male and female students expended 10.2 ± 4.6 and 8.4 ± 5.3 kcal/kg/day, respectively, the O2max amounting to 48.4 ± 6.4 and 41.1 ± 4.7 ml/kg/min, respectively. Subjects having high O2max had significantly higher energy expenditure on physical activities, fat-free mass, body water content and maximal ventilation, and lower body mass, BMI, body fat content, resting heart rate and diastolic pressure.Conclusions: When investigating into the relationships between physical activity and physiological features, the latter ought to be related to O2max rather than to energy expenditure which may depend on other than physiological variables.
Study aim: to develop and estimate the validity of non-exercise methods to predict VO2max among young male conscripts entering military service in order to divide them into the different physical training groups. Material and methods: fifty males (age 19.7 ± 0.3 years) reported their physical activity before military service by IPAQ and SIVAQ questionnaires. Furthermore, Jackson’s non-exercise method was used to estimate VO2max. Body mass and height were measured, body mass index calculated and VO2max measured directly in a maximal treadmill test. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The results of the Group 1 (N = 25) were used to develop a regression equation to estimate VO2max. The results of the Group 2 (N = 25) were used to evaluate the validity of the developed non-exercise methods and Jackson’s non-exercise methods to estimate VO2max by Bland and Altman plot. The validity was further evaluated by comparing the results to 12-minute running test performed by 877 male conscripts (age 19.6 ± 0.2 years). Results: the developed models explained 68–74% of the variation in VO2max. Mean difference between directly measured and estimated VO2max was not significant, while Jackson’s method overestimated VO2max (p < 0.001). Both developed models were equally valid to divide conscripts into tertile group of fitness. However, 5% of the conscripts were classified into the highest fitness group based on both methods, but they were actually in the lowest fitness group based on a running test. Conclusion: in practice, these findings suggest that developed methods can be used as a tool to divide conscripts into different fitness groups in the very beginning of their military service.
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