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A study of the relationships between somatotype, level of habitual activity and physical working capacity in post-puberal males

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Summary

The level of physical activity of 53 postpuberal school boys was recorded during a typical week, using the activity diary technique. The somatotype of each subject was determined photoscopically and physical working capacity (PWC) was measured as the subject’s rate of working at a heart rate of 170 beats per minute (PWC170). The activity diary entries were classified into six categories: sleeping or lying down, sitting, standing, walking, light physical activity and heavy physical activity.

PWC170 was related to the number of hours of heavy physical activity but not to the duration of other types of activity. The number of hours of heavy and light physical activity were negatively related to the rating for ectomorphy and the number of hours of heavy physical activity positively related to the rating for mesomorphy. These results are considered in relation to recent work concerning physical activity and coronary risk factors.

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Watson, A.W.S., O’Donovan, D.J. A study of the relationships between somatotype, level of habitual activity and physical working capacity in post-puberal males. Ir J Med Sci 146, 381–385 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03030993

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