Assessment of aerobic fitness and its correlates in Omani adolescents using the 2o-metre shuttle run test. A pilot study

ABSTRACT

To assess aerobic fitness in male and female adolescents using the multistage ŸcŸa-metre shuttle run test and correlate it with selected fitness variables. The subjects comprised 83 girls and 64 boys aged 15-16 years, randomly selected from two segregated government schools in Muscat. After the pupils filled in a short questionnaire on their personal leisure time activities of the preceding week, their heights and weights were measured. Aerobic fitness was assessed by estimating each pupil's minimal oxygen uptake levels [VO[2max]] using the multistage 20-metre shuttle running test [20-MST]. Boys spent more time than girls on leisure physical activities, television, computer and video games and the Internet. The estimated VO[2max] in both boys and girls showed high correlation with their weekly physical activities. The time spent on television and computer negatively correlated with VO[2max] in girls but not in boys. Girls had higher body mass index [BMI] and less VO[2max] compared to boys; BMI showed a negative correlation with VO[2max] in girls but not in boys. Aerobic fitness in this sample was higher in boys than in girls and was strongly influenced by weekly physical activities in both genders. The 20-MST has proved a simple and inexpensive field test for aerobic fitness that could be implemented on a wide scale