Physical Fitness Characterization by Obesity Level in Young Males with Poor Physical Fitness

doi:10.4236/ape.2013.32012

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Advances in Physical Education

2013. Vol.3, No.2, 76-79

Published Online May 2013 in SciRes (http://www.scirp.org/journal/ape) http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ape.2013.32012

Physical Fitness Characterization by Obesity Level in Young

Males with Poor Physical Fitness

Tamotsu Kitabayashi1, Shin-ichi Demura2, Takanori No guchi3

1Tokyo University of Science, Tokyo, Japan

2Graduate School of Natural Science & Technology, Kanazawa Uni ver sity, Kanazawa, Japan

3Fukui University of Technology, Fukui, J a pa n

Email: [email protected]

Received January 17th, 2013; revised Febru ary 19th, 2013; accepted March 4th, 2013

mons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, pro-

vided the original work is properly cited.

Lack of physical fitness in obese people, recent decline in physical fitness of young people, and physical

fitness problems of thin people are a concern. We investigated the physical fitness characteristics of dif-

ferent obese groups comprising young males with poor physical fitness. Technical college students (144

males; age, 15.9 ± 1.1 y; height, 169.1 ± 5.9 cm; weight, 60.0 ± 13.3 kg) took the physical fitness test of

the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and were judged to have

lower than normal physical fitness in a comprehensive evaluation of the MEXT physical test. Three

groups with different obesity levels were formed according to their percent body fat (%BF): thin (<15%),

normal (15% - 25%), and obese (>25%). The obese group had stronger grip than the thin and normal

groups but was inferior to the thin group in 20-m shuttle run, standing broad jump, 50-m run, and total

score. The test requiring large physical movements revealed that the obese group was inferior in power

and endurance. Therefore, among young males with poor physical fitness, obese individuals have differ-

ent physical fitness characteristics than thin and normal individuals; they are inferior to normal and thin

individuals in running- and jumping-related power and endurance but superior in muscle strength.

Keywords: Obesity Level; Physical Fitness; Exercise Prescription

Introduction

A marked decline in physical fitness of young people has

been noted as a problem for more than 20 y. At the time, many

studies were conducted on the decline in physical fitness due to

physical inactivity, adiposity with an increased percent body fat

(%BF), and the occurrence of lifestyle-related diseases (Beunen,

Malina, Ostyn, Renson, Simons, & Van Gerven, 1983; Kim,

Matsuura, Tanaka, & Inagaki, 1993). In particular, much atten-

tion has been paid to the decline in physical fitness due to obe-

sity. However, the causes for this decline have diversified and

the number of young people with poor physical fitness and

obese individuals are increasing. There has also been an in-

crease in extremely thin young males (Hayano, 2002). A low

%BF in young people was not previously considered a problem

because many of them exercised daily through club activities

and had superior physical fitness.

However, the number of thin individuals with poor physical

fitness has increased recently, despite them having a low %BF

similar to athletes. Thus, there is a need to distinguish thin peo-

ple with good physical fitness from those with poor fitness.

Hayano (2002) reported that thin individuals with poor physical

fitness suffer from eating disorders because of their desire to

lose excess weight or because of following incorrect diets (Ha-

yano, 2002). As a result, there is a decrease in their muscle

mass, which is necessary for physical activities. Physical fitness

level generally reaches a peak between childhood and adoles-

cence (Tokyo Metropolitan University, 2007). Therefore, in-

creasing fitness levels sufficiently during this period is very

important because it largely affects their physical fitness levels

in adolescence (Barnekow, Hedberg, Janlert, & Jansson, 1988;

Iwai, Matuki, Koshida, Tanaka, Miyashita, & Urabe, 2008;

Mikkelsson, Kaprio, Kautiainen, Kujala, Mikkelsson, & Nup-

ponen, 2006). Therefore, physical fitness must be improved

with adequate exercise prescriptions. However, obese and/or

thin individuals are among those with poor physical fitness, and

physical fitness characteristics may differ with the degrees of

obesity. This study may be considered more significant than

previous studies because it clarifies the causes of low physical

fitness levels according to the degree of obesity.

We clarified the physical fitness characteristics in groups of

young males with poor physical fitness and different degree of

obesity.

Method

Subjects

The physical fitness test of the Ministry of Education, Cul-

ture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) sets a judgment

criterion for a comprehensive physical fitness based on the total

score in each test (Five stages; A [highest] to E [lowest]). We

targeted young males with poor physical fitness. Students cor-

responding to the D and E levels, which are lower than the

T. KITABAYASHI ET AL.

standard level (C), were selected as subjects according to the

general MEXT judgment criteria. In short, among 606 male

technical college students from the first to third grade, 144

students (age, 15.9 ± 1.1 y; height, 169.1 ± 5.9 cm; weight, 60.0

± 13.3 kg) were judged to have poor physical fitness (D and E

levels).

The purpose and procedure of the study were explained in

detail, and informed consent was obtained from all participants.

This experimental protocol was approved by the Ethics Com-

mittee on Human Experimentation of Faculty of Education,

Kanazawa University (authorization number: 19-4).

%BF and Body Mass Index (BMI)

Subcutaneous fat thickness was measured at the triceps and

scapular sites with a skinfold caliper (Cambridge Scientific

Industries, Inc., Cambridge, MD, USA). After calculating body

density by substituting the total value of subcutaneous fat

thickness in the equation of Nagamine & Suzuki (1964), we

calculated %BF using the equation of Brozek et al. (1951). BMI,

which is an obesity index, was calculated by dividing the

weight in kg by the height in m2 (Katherine, Margaret, Brian,

& Cynthia, 2012).

Physical Fitness Test

The MEXT physical fitness test was selected as the physical

fitness test in this study (The Ministry of Education, Culture,

Sports, Science and Technology, 2000). It consists of eight tests:

grip strength (strength), sit-ups (muscle endurance), sit and

reach (flexibility), side-stepping (agility), 20-m shuttle run

(general endurance), 50-m run, standing broad jump, and

handball throwing (muscle power; running, jumping, and

throwing ability). The tests were performed according to the

enforcement method for physical fitness tests (Sports and

Youth Bureau of the MEXT, 2012: The Ministry of Education,

Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 2000).

Based on the score table provided by MEXT, the records of

each test were converted into a scale of 0 - 10, and the total

scores were used as the general physical fitness evaluation

value. The measurement of skinfold thickness and the physical

fitness test were carried out from early April to early June dur-

ing regular health and physical education classes held by

physical education teachers with expertise and experience.

Statistical Analysis

The relationship between %BF and BMI was examined using

Pearson’s correlation coefficient. A one-way analysis of vari-

ance (ANOVA, the obesity factor) was used to determine the

mean differences for each physical test and total scores. When a

significant main effect was found, a multiple comparison test

was conducted using Tukey’s honestly significant difference

(HSD) method. The mean difference was assessed by effect

size (ES); p < .05 was considered significant.

Results

The correlation between %BF and BMI was significant and

very high (r = .86). Based on %BF, three groups with different

obesity levels were created: thin (<15 %BF), normal (15 - 25

%BF), and obese (>25 %BF). As a result, 73 (height, 168.7 ±

5.5 cm; weight, 52.8 ± 6.1 kg; %BF, 12.3% ± 2.1%), 45 (height,

168.7 ± 5.9 cm; weight, 59.1 ± 8.1 kg; %BF, 18.3% ± 1.9%),

and 26 (height, 171.3 ± 6.5 cm; weight, 81.7 ± 12.1 kg; %BF,

31.8% ± 6.1%) subjects were assigned to the thin, normal, and

obese groups, respectively.

Table 1 shows the means and standard deviations of the

physical fitness test scores based on the groups, the test results

of the one-way ANOVA (degree of obesity), and ES. Signifi-

cant main effects were obtained in the tests of grip strength,

20-m shuttle run, 50-m run, and standing broad jump. The thin

and normal groups had lower total scores and grip strength but

significantly higher 20-m shuttle run and standing broad jump

scores than the obese group. The thin group was faster in the

50-m run but had lower total scores than the obese group.

Table 1.

Physical characteristics and one-way ANOVA (Obesity levels).

Fitness test Thin N = 72 NormalN = 45ObeseN = 26

Unit Mean SD Mean SD MeanSD F-valuep Tukey’s HSD Effect Size

Age (Year) 15.6 0.86 16.0 1.13 16.51.14

Height (cm) 168.7 5.53 168.7 5.92 168.75.53

Weight (kg) 52.8 6.06 59.1 8.14 81.712.14

BMI 18.5 1.71 20.7 2.49 27.94.45

Grip strength (kg） 34.8 5.60 35.7 5.23 42.05.93 16.29*0.00Thin, Nomal < Obese Thin <Obese: 1.25

Sit-up (Times) 24.0 4.17 23.6 4.83 23.53.13 0.22 0.80

Sit and reach (Times) 39.6 6.28 39.8 9.72 42.57.56 1.39 0.25

Side-stepping (Times) 51.1 4.93 50.2 4.15 49.06.29 1.80 0.17

20-m shuttle r un (Times) 68.4 12.67 65.7 11.4946.511.78 32.14*0.00Obese < Thin, Nomal Obese < Thin: 1.76

50-m run (s) 8.3 0.55 8.5 0.57 8.7 0.54 5.99* 0.00Thin < Obese Thin < Obese: .79

Standing br oad jump (cm) 200.5 17.78 192.9 14.86180.723.1011.87*0.00Obese < Thin, Nomal Obese < Thin: 1.03

Handball throwing (m) 18.0 3.28 18.1 4.16 17.14.05 0.68 0.51

Total score (Points) 37.9 4.33 36.9 4.98 35.24.99 3.46* 0.03Obese < Thin Obese < Thin: .61

: p < .05.

T. KITABAYASHI ET AL.

ESs between the mean of the obese group and the thin and

normal groups were 1.24 and 1.14 for grip strength, 1.76 and

1.66 for the 20-m shuttle run, and 1.03 and .67 for the standing

broad jump, respectively, and ES between the mean of the thin

group and obesity group was .79 for the 50-m run; the total

score was .61.

Discussion

The MEXT physical fitness test classifies the physical fitness

of young people into five grades based on the total score. The

subjects in the present study were all judged to have poor

physical fitness, corresponding to the D or E level, which is

lower than the standard level (C) among the five grades. Hence,

their physical fitness was considered to be inferior to that of

young people of the same generation.

The degree of obesity is generally determined by %BF. BMI

calculated from the height and weight has also been used

worldwide as a simple index of the degree of obesity in young

people. However, BMI has a limitation when used for subjects

with large muscle mass, such as athletes because of an

over-evaluating effect (Demura, 2011). However, it may be a

useful parameter to evaluate body composition in subjects other

than athletes because a strong relationship exists between the

two parameters (r = .86); thus, the grouping based on %BF

were judged to be valid.

Handgrip strength is used as an index of muscle strength be-

cause the results can be generalized to the whole body (Demura,

2011; The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and

Technology, 2000). Grip strength was significantly greater in

the obese group (42 kg) than in the normal and thin groups,

with a large difference (ES = 1.14 - 1.24), and was comparable

to that of the Technical college students (grade 1, 41.5 kg;

grade 2, 43.6 kg; grade 3, 44.1 kg) who engage in high fre-

quency physical exercise (3 - 4 times/week) (Shima da, Demura ,

& Yamada, 2010). On the other hand, grip strength of the thin

group (34.8 kg) and the normal group (35.7 kg) was lower than

that of the obese group by 7 - 8 kg on an average. Grip strength

in the thin and normal groups was lower than the standard value

of the same generation. Hence, inferior muscle strength may be

a main factor of inferior physical fitness in the thin and normal

groups.

In particular, thin individuals tended to enforce weight loss

and dietary limitations more than that required because of an

excessive desire for a slim body (Hayano, 2002). As a result, a

risk of reduction in the amount of BF as well as muscle mass

has been indicated.

The 20-m shuttle run has been used as an index of general

endurance because of its strong correlation with VO2 max It

was significantly inferior in the obese group than in the thin and

normal groups (46.5 times), showing a very large difference

(ES = 1.66 - 1.76). In contrast to muscle strength, general en-

durance in the obese group was particularly inferior compared

with that in young people with poor physical fitness. In case of

the 20-m shuttle run, heavy weight because of large body

movements was considered to greatly affect performance and

impose a large burden on the knee joints of obese subjects. A

similar tendency was found in the 50-m run and standing broad

jump that require rapid body movements, wherein the obese

group was found to be inferior to the other groups.

The weight of obese subjects affects the motor ability tests,

which involve large body movements such as running and

jumping. Thus, it is necessary for obese subjects to reduce BF

mass while maintaining muscle mass to improve these physical

fitness elements related to running and jumping. No significant

difference was observed for tests such as sit-ups (general en-

durance), sit and reach (flexibility), side-stepping (agility), and

the handball throw (muscle power; throwing ability). These

tests do not require much body movement and are completed

within a relatively short time. Therefore, there was little effect

of body weight on performance. However, the mean values for

each group on these tests were equal to or less than the standard

value. This may be the main cause of poor physical fitness

among our subjects, which is common in all subjects with poor

physical fitness.

In particular, scores of the handball throw test were lower

than those of the other tests (approximately 18 m: 3 points).

The throwing movement is complex and requires energy gener-

ated by lower limbs to be amplified and transmitted smoothly

from the trunk to the upper limbs. It also requires whole-body

coordination in addition to muscle strength.

The following may be offered as the standard exercise pre-

scription to improve physical fitness of young males with poor

physical fitness. Strength improvement training is recom-

mended for thin or normal people with poor physical fitness

because they generally tend to have inferior muscular function.

On the other hand, obese people need to improve endurance

power through running/jumping exercises. These exercises may

be combined with strength training to increase basal metabo-

lism and aerobic exercise to reduce BF, considering the burden

on blood pressure and the joints. Furthermore, it may be desir-

able to include ball games promoting nerve functions into an

exercise program because all young people with poor physical

fitness perform inadequate exercise.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the cause of poor physical fitness was differ-

ent between the obese and thin groups among young people

with poor physical fitness. The obese group was superior in

muscle strength but inferior in general endurance and power

related to running and jumping, whereas the thin group was

inferior in muscle strength. Other physical fitness elements

showed little group differences.

Among young males with poor physical fitness, obese indi-

viduals have different physical fitness characteristics from

normal and thin individuals and are inferior to normal and thin

individuals in power and endurance of the whole body related

to running and jumping but superior in muscle strength.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Fukui National College Tech-

nology. The authors thank Prof. Shigeru Shimada and Dr. Ta-

kayoshi Yamada for their assistance with data collection. The

authors also thank Enago (www.enago.jp) for the English lan-

guage review.

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