V. S. Yakimovich, professor, Dr.Hab.
Volzhsky Institute of Civil Engineering and Technologies (branch) of Volgograd State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Volgograd.
S. V. Musina, senior lecturer
Volzhsky Polytechnic Institute (branch) of Volgograd State Technical University, Volzhsky, the Vologda region, Russia

Key words: overweight, student youth, classes of physical culture.

Introduction. Human body weight is known to be one of the basic indices of their physical development, representing an integral assessment of the character of metabolism, energy and information processes in their body. Besides, according to expert studies the number of daytime students with both under- and overweight compared to a certain norm, is equal to 30-40 % of all students in some universities [1, 2]. Nevertheless, most of modern methods of classes of physical culture for youth in different educational institutions of our country do not take into account such an acute factor in a proper way. 

The quoted situation requires work and scientific substantiation of the specifics of methods of classes of physical culture for students with overweight. In view of insufficient research information on the quoted problem the allocation of the correlation of health, physical development and physical fitness indices in such students is required along with revelation of the key factors determining this correlation.

Methods. 28 17-19-year-old first- and second-year students of the basic and low-fitness groups with overweight from one of Volzhsky universities (the Vologda region) were subjected to investigation and had their physical development, physical fitness and health indices fixed.

Physical development was determined by measuring: body length (using stadiometer); body weight (using TANITA BС-540 body composition analyzer); chest circumference (CC) and body parts circumference (using measuring tape); body fat thickness (using caliper); general forced expiratory flow (GFEF) (using loading spirometer). Based on the received data there were calculated such parameters as absolute and percentage fat and muscular tissue mass (by Ya. Mateyko’s formulas); body-weight index (by Ketle’s formula); chest proportion index (Erismann index); vital capacity (by VL formula (ml) = GFEF (%) x VL norm (ml) / 100).

Physical fitness indices were revealed in the tests: body bending depth from a standing position; pull-ups (boys); dip with bench (girls); benchpress; leg press; DC-500 torso dynamometer pull; BS – D706 manual dynamometer press; shuttle run 3Х10 m; 1000-m run (boys) and 500 m (girls).

Health indices included allocation of heart rate at rest (palpatory); arterial pressure (AP) (using M2Eco (OMRON) automatic meter; timed inspiratory capacity (Shtange’s test); timed expiratory capacity (Genche’s test); walk test (by V.L. Karpman, Z.B. Belotserkovsky); Rufie test. Proceeding from the received data, birth-death ratio and health level were calculated by G.L. Apanasenko [3].

All indices were subjected to correlation and semantic analysis.

Results and discussion. 28 persons subjected to investigation consisted of 14 boys (50 % of the sampling) and 14 girls (50 %).

The table 1 contains the number of most essential correlations formed by the indices of physical development, physical fitness and health level of female students with overweight.

Thus, proceeding from the semantic analysis the index № 15 (leg press) has 10 positive correlations with indices № 2 (body weight r = 0,736),  № 3 (CC r = 0,696),  № 4 (absolute fat tissue mass r = 0,604), № 6 (absolute muscle mass r = 0,813), № 8 (body-weight index r = 0,721), № 14 (chest press r = 0,664), № 16 (back strength r = 0,717),  № 17 (right hand flexor power r = 0,659), № 18 (left hand flexor power r = 0,809) and № 26 (Rufie test r = 0,549).

Due to such a number of correlations leg press us assumed to be a semantic center of the studied variables for female students with overweight.

Most of the indices are shown to characterize power capacities of female students. Herewith, the higher power indices in one of exercises the higher they are in others. Rufie index, positively correlated with leg extensor power, is of special importance. The higher the index of this test the lower the assessment of heart work is. Moreover, the result of Rufie test is positively correlated with benchpress (r = 0,549), testifying to undesirability of exercises for development of maximum dynamic power of hand and leg extensors in girls with overweight on the classes of physical culture.

Tables legend: № 1 - body length; № 2 – body weight; № 3 – chest circumference; № 4 – absolute composition of fat tissue; № 5 –percentage of fat tissue to body weight; № 6 – absolute muscular tissue mass; № 7 – percentage of muscular tissue to body weight; № 8 – body-weight index; № 9 – Erismann index; № 10 – general forced expiratory flow; № 11 – vital capacity; № 12 – body bending depth; № 13 – benchpress (girls), pull-ups (boys); № 14 – chest press; № 15 – leg press; № 16 – back strength; № 17 – right hand flexor power; № 18 – left hand flexor power; № 19 – shuttle run 3Х10 m; № 22 – diastolic AP;  № 21 – systolic AP; № 24 – Shtange’s test; № 26 – Rufie test;  № 27 – run test; № 28 – Apanasenko’s test.

The indices № 2 (body weight), № 4 (absolute fat tissue mass) and № 8 (body-weight index) have 9 correlations each. Eight correlations have been revealed in the indices: № 3 (CC), № 6 (absolute muscle mass), № 14 (chest press). Thanks to such a number of correlations the given indices are called semantic units of the studied variables.

Thus, all statistically acute linear coefficients of the correlation of body weight and indices of physical development, physical fitness and health of the considered female student contingent are also positive. Thus, body weight grows with the increase of absolute fat tissue mass (r = 0,884) and absolute muscle tissue coefficient (r = 0,965) resulting in growing chest circumference (r = 0,873), body-weight index (r = 0,990) and Erismann index (r = 0,823). The result in chest (r = 0,577) and leg press (r = 0,736), 3Х10-m shuttle run time (r = 0,632) and 500-m run time (r = 0,634) goes up with body weight. 

Therefore, the body weight gain among female students is proved to result in not only improvement of maximums of power capacities (chest and leg press), but also in the decrease of the results in tests characterizing their coordinating abilities and endurance. Taking into account the character of correlations of the quoted indices and body weight, weight loss of such students is assumed to cause the decrease and improvement of run test results. Herewith, these results can be improved only by decreasing fat tissue mass. It is proved by the positive correlations of absolute fat mass of the student contingent under consideration in their shuttle run time (r = 0,575) and 500-m run time (r = 0,735).

Since the correlations of body weight and absolute fat tissue mass with coordinating abilities and general endurance represent mutual relations the exercises for development of coordinating abilities and general endurance are supposed to facilitate the female students’ loss of overweight by decreasing its part of the fat component.

Absolute muscular tissue mass (index № 6) has a pronounced positive correlation with the results of tests of maximal dynamic (chest press r = 0,695 and leg press r = 0,813) and static force (left hand flexor power r = 0,590).

Therefore, indices of physical development, physical fitness and health of female students with overweight are proved to be substantially determined by absolute fat and muscular tissue mass rather than their body weight.

The table 2 contains most acute correlations generated by the studied indices of students with overweight.

Thus, the indices № 2 (body weight) and № 4 (absolute fat tissue mass) – generate the largest number of correlations of 7 each, representing semantic centers of the studied variables. The linear coefficient of the correlation of body weight and absolute fat tissue mass has a positive effect in 5 cases and is negative in 2.

Therefore, both girls and boys gain weight with the growth of absolute fat tissue mass (r = 0,727) and absolute muscular tissue mass (r = 0,566), resulting in bigger CC (r = 0,816), body-weight index (r = 0,971) and Erismann index (r = 0,720). In the meantime, weight gain causes decrease of health level by Apanasenko (r = - 0,768) and birth-death ratio (r = - 0,551).

Consequently, weight gain of male students to overweight is bad for their health.

Likewise, the increase of absolute fat mass of such students provokes weight gain (r = 0,727), CC (r = 0,544), body-weight index (r = 0,773), along with absolute fat tissue mass (r = 0,922),

Besides, the growth of absolute fat tissue results in the increase of Rufie’s test indices (r = 0,584) and health level decrease by Apanasenko (r = - 0,730) and effects negatively the number of pull-ups (r = - 0,803).

Hence, the growth of absolute fat tissue mass to overweight is bad for male students’ health and their power abilities.

Chest circumference (index № 3) and Apanasenko’s test result (index № 28) have six significant correlations each, representing semantic units of the studied variables.

The negative correlation of CC (index № 3) and health level by Apanasenko (index № 28 r = - 0,542) is to be marked, testifying to the fact that further chest expansion in students with overweight is bad for their health. It is essential that vital capacity (index № 11) and general forced expiratory flow (index № 11) in such boys have a high correlation feedback with 1000-m run result (r = - 0,730), proving that their endurance is considerably determined by the state of respiratory system.

Among correlations Apanasenko’s test (index № 28) is marked by its positive linear coefficient of the correlation with the number of pull-ups (r = 0,541), testifying to the favorable effect of the level of dynamic power endurance of young males with overweight on their health.

Therefore, health indices of young males with overweight are proved to mostly depend on absolute fat mass. The more it is the worse health indices are. It can be decreased by means of physical exercises for development of endurance for boys and girls. But for boys breathing exercises focused on the increase of vital capacity and general forced expiratory flow should be an essential part of development of endurance. Moreover, alternatively to girls with overweight, for whom additional coordinating exercises are recommended, boys are to focus on power exercises for upper limb girdle muscles to develop endurance.

Conclusions. Overweight by absolute fat tissue mass renders a more intense negative influence on male student health compared to females. Physical exercises for absolute fat tissue loss are to be focused on development of their general endurance and coordinating abilities for girls and development of general and power dynamic endurance for boys.

The research results are to be taken into account whilst planning and organizing the contents of both academic and extracurricular classes of physical culture for male and female university students with overweight from basic and low-fitness medical groups commonly made of students without health disorders.

Bibliography

1. Egorycheva, E.V. The study of body weight deviations of modern student youth [e-source] / E.V. Egorycheva, S.V. Musina // Sovremennye issledovaniya sotsial’nykh problem. – 2011. – № 4. – P. 1-6. – URL: http://sisp.nkras.ru/issues/2011/4/egorycheva.pdf. (In Russian)

2. Izaak, S.I. Physical development and physical fitness in the system of monitoring of people’s physical health (students’ age-sex features) / S.I. Izaak, T.V. Panasyuk// Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury. – 2004. – № 11. – P. 51-52. (In Russian)

3. Landa, B.H. Technique of integrated assessment of physical development and physical fitness: study guide / B.H. Landa. – Moscow: Sovetsky sport, 2006. – 208 P. (In Russian)

Contact information:

Yakimovich V.S., mob.ph.: 8-905-433-42-00 professor091@rambler.ru

Musina S.V. mob.ph.: 8-906-173-50-51 Mif_74@mail.ru