Dr. Med., Associate Professor E.Yu. Dyakova¹
S.P. Akhmedova^1
1National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk

Keywords: physical working capacity, group physical therapy, students.

Background. It was eight years ago that a group physical therapy model was implemented at National Research Tomsk State University for the students with health disorders formally exempted of the academic Physical Education classes. The group physical therapy model was designed on a health-needs-sensitive basis with the training workloads eased and some difficult traditional physical conditioning exercises excluded from the group physical therapy course. The physical therapy groups were trained using special sets of health-prioritizing exercises. A few earlier studies have shown some bodily functions progressing and others regressing in such Physical Education courses [3]. The group physical therapy model implemented at National Research Tomsk State University, however, has proved balanced enough to secure a harmonized functional and physical working capacity progress of the students with health impairments [1] with their body balancing disorders being effectively corrected [2].

Objective of the study was to rate benefits of a group physical therapy model for students’ physical progress.

Methods and structure of the study. Physical development rates are ranked among the key physicality and functionality criteria by the modern health and sport communities including the WHO that recommended PWC170 tests to rate individual PD. These tests are commonly being used in studies of sporting and unsporting samples [4, 5].

Tests under the study were run at the National Research Tomsk State University Health Sport Tourism, Sport Physiology and Medicine Department in May and October 2018 and April 2019. Sampled for the physical therapy groups were the 18-23 year old female students (n=13) with minor health disorders who gave their informed consent in writing for the study. The physical therapy groups were trained for one year twice a week, each training session taking 75 min. The groups were composed on a diagnose-unspecific basis, excluding the serious and severe pathologies. We used Rhythm Cycle Ergometer for the PWC170 tests, with the relative (specific) physical working capacity computed versus the body mass as follows:

Relative PWC₁₇₀ = Absolute PWC₁₇₀ (kgm/ min) / m (kg),

    where m means the body mass

Absolute PWC₁₇₀ = N₁ + (N₂ – N₁) х (170 – HR₁) / (HR₂ – HR₁) (kgm/ min),

    where N₁ / N₂ are the working capacity rates under the first/ second workload; HR₁ / HR₂ are the heart rates after the first/ second workload.

Physical development was rated using the V.L. Karpman tables, with the relative PWC₁₇₀ assumed a more accurate measure of the physical development – knowing that people with different body masses and fitness rates may have close absolute PWC₁₇₀, whilst the better trained individuals are always tested with the higher relative PWC₁₇₀ (relative to the body mass) than the untrained ones. The students signed an informed consent form prior to the tests, and every test was preceded by the blood pressure and body mass tests.

Results and discussion. The pre- versus post-experimental tests of the physical therapy groups found every student making progress for the study period, with the share of the above-average and high physical working capacity rated individuals in the groups found to grow, and no one was tested with the low physical working capacity by the post-experimental tests in April 2019: see Figure 1 hereunder. This gives us the grounds to believe that the new group physical therapy model is highly beneficial for the students’ progress in functionality and physical working capacity.

Figure 1. Physical progress tests rates of the 18-23 year-olds

Conclusion. The study data and analyses showed the group physical therapy model being highly beneficial for students’ physical progress despite the relatively low workloads and non-standardized training formats as compared to the traditional Physical Education groups.

References

1. Davletyarova K.V., Soltanova V.L., Baranova E.V., Andreev V.I. Adaptabilities of students engaged in physical therapy. Byulleten Sibirskoy meditsiny. 2011. no. 3. pp. 116-119.
2. Davletyarova K.V., Soltanova V.L., Kapilevich L.V., Andreev V.I. Physical therapy to correct imbalance function in students. Byulleten Sibirskoy meditsiny. 2009. no. 3. pp. 23-26.
3. Dyakova E.Yu., Zakharova A.N. Evaluation criteria of functional status of students of groups of exercise therapy. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2013. no. 7. pp. 25 – 29.
4. Antony B, Venn A, Cicuttini F, March L, Blizzard L, Dwyer T, Cross M, Jones G, Ding C. Association of physical activity and physical performance with tibial cartilage volume and bone area in young adults.Arthritis Res Ther. 2015; 17: 298.
5. Jastrzębska M, Kaczmarczyk M, Michalczyk M, Radzimiński Ł, Stępień P, Jastrzębska J, Wakuluk D, Suárez AD, López Sánchez GF, Cięszczyk P, Godlewski P, Król P, Jastrzębski Z. Can Supplementation of Vitamin D Improve Aerobic Capacity in Well Trained Youth Soccer Players? J Hum Kinet. 2018 Mar 23;61:63-72.

Corresponding author: fizkult@teoriya.ru

Abstract

In 2010 National Research Tomsk State University established physical therapy groups for the students with health disorders. It has been long traditional to have such students released of the academic physical education practices with their studies being limited by physical therapy theory. The group physical therapy model for special health groups was designed customizable for the group needs. Objective of the study was to rate benefits of the group physical therapy for students’ physical working capacity. Sampled for the physical therapy groups were the 18-23 year old female students (n=13) with minor health disorders who gave their informed consent in writing for the study. Cycle ergometer PWC170 tests were run in May, October 2018 and April 2019, with the test workloads rated versus the body masses. The rehabilitation group practices were found beneficial for the students’ physical progress as verified by the growth of the high and above-average test rates, with no one tested with low physical working capacity.