Summary
The relationships between physical working capacity (PWC), level of habitual activity, relative leanness-fatness, isometric strength and motor ability have been examined in 85 17 and 18 year-old school boys. Level of habitual activity was found to be significantly related to PWC and to the strength and motor ability scores, whilst relative leanness-fatness was not significantly related to any of the other variables studied. Some of the apparent association between PWC and the strength and motor ability scores was due to a common dependence on body size, but the relationship between PWC and four performance variables remained significant when the influence of differences in size of the subjects was removed. It is suggested that differences in the level of habitual activity of post adolescent male school boys influence the physical working capacity but not relative leanness-fatness. The association between level of habitual activity and strength and motor ability scores suggests that the latter variables may possibly influence the level of habitual activity in this type of subject.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
åstrand, P.-O., Rodahl, K.: Text book of work physiology. New York: McGraw-Hill 1970
Barry, A. J., Cureton, T. K.: Factor analysis of physique and performance in prepubescent boys. Res. Quart. 32, 283–300 (1961)
Bruch, H.: Obesity in childhood: IV. Energy expenditure of obese children. J. Dis. Child. 60, 1082–1109 (1940)
Bullen, B. A., Reed, R. B., Mayer, J.: Physical activity of obese and non-obese adolescent girls. Appraised by motion picture analysis. Amer. J. clin. Nutr. 14, 211–223 (1964)
Buskirk, E., Taylor, H. L.: Maximum oxygen intake and its relation to body composition. J. appl. Physiol. 11, 72–78 (1957)
Campbell, W., Tucker, N. M.: An introduction to tests and measurement in physical education. London: Bell 1967
C.A.P.H.E.R.: The Physical Working Capacity of Canadian Children. Toronto: Canadian Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. 1968
Cotes, J. E., Davies, C. T. M., Edholm, O. G., Healy, M. J. R., Tanner, J.: Factors relating to the aerobic capacity of 46 healthy males and females aged 18 to 28 years. Proc. roy. Soc. B. 174, 91–114 (1969)
Davies, C. T. M.: The oxygen transporting system in relation to age. Clin. Sci. 42, 1–13 (1972)
Davies, C. T. M., Barnes, C., Godfrey, S.: Body composition and maximum exercise performance in children. Human Biol. 44, 195–214 (1972)
Dempsey, J. A., Reddan, W., Balke, B., Rankin, J.: Work capacity determinants and physiological cost of weight supported work in obesity. J. appl. Physiol. 21, 1815–1820 (1966)
Dorris, J. R., Stunkard, A. J.: Physical activity: performance and attitudes of groups of obese women. Amer. J. med. Sci. 233, 623–628 (1957)
Durnin, J. V. G. A.: Activity patterns in the community. Canad. med. Ass. J. 96, 882–886 (1967)
Durnin, J. V. G. A., Rahaman, M. M.: The assessment of the amount of fat in the human body from measurements of skinfold thickness. Brit. J. Nutr. 21, 681–689 (1967)
Fleishman, E. A.: The structure and measurement of physical fitness. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall 1964
Jones, H. E.: Motor performance and growth. A developmental study of static dynametric strength. Berkley: University of California Press 1949
Lamphiear, D. E., Montoye, H. J.: Muscular strength and body size. Human Biol. 48, 147–160 (1976)
Laubach, L. L., McConville, J. T.: The relationship of strength to body size and typology. Med. Sci. Sports 1, 189–194 (1969)
Malina, R. M., Rarick, G. L.: Growth, physique and motor performance. In: Physical activity, human growth and development (G. L. Rarick, ed.), pp. 125–154. New York: Academic Press 1973
Mayhew, J. H., Gifford, P. B.: Prediction of maximum oxygen uptake in preadolescent boys from anthropometric parameters. Res. Quart. 46, 302–311 (1975)
Montagu, M. F. A.: An introduction to physical anthropology, 2nd ed. Springfield/Ill.: C. C. Thomas 1951
O'Donovan, D. J., Watson, A. W. S.: Relationship of PWC170 to body size and shape. J. Physiol. 263, 270–271 (1976)
Parizkova, J.: Longitudinal study of development of body composition and body build in boys of various physical activity. Human Biol. 40, 212–225 (1968)
Rasch, P. J.: Isometric exercise and gains in strength. In: Frontiers of fitness (R. J. Shephard, ed.). Springfield/Ill.: C. C. Thomas 1971
Shephard, R. J.: The physical working capacity of school children. In: Frontiers of fitness (R. J. Shephard, ed.), pp. 319–344. Springfield/Ill.: C. C. Thomas 1971
Tuddenham, R. D., Snyder, M. M.: Physical growth of Californian boys and girls from birth to 18 years. Univ. Calif. Publ. Child Develop. 1, 183–364 (1954)
Watson, A. W. S.: Weight changes during prolonged exercise. Brit. J. Sports Med. 7, 338–339 (1973)
Watson, A. W. S., O'Donovan, D. J.: The reliability of measurements of PWC170. Irish J. med. Sci. 145, 308 (1976)
Wilmore, J. H., Girandola, R. N., Moody, D. L.: Validity of skinfold and girth assessment for predicting alterations in body composition. J. appl. Physiol. 29, 313–317 (1970)
Zwiren, L., Skinner, J. S., Buskirk, E. R.: Use of body density and various skinfold equations for estimating small reductions in body fatness. J. Sports Med. 13, 213–218 (1973)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council of Ireland
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Watson, A.W.S., O'Donovan, D.J. The relationship of level of habitual activity to measures of leanness-fatness, physical working capacity, strength and motor ability in 17 and 18 year-old males. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 37, 93–100 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421695
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00421695