INFLUENCE OF LEVEL OF HABITUAL ACTIVITY ON PHYSICAL WORKING CAPACITY AND BODY COMPOSITION OF POST-PUBERAL SCHOOL BOYS

Abstract

The relationships between level of habitual activity, physical working capacity at a heart rate of 170 beats/min (PWC170), percent fat and body size, were investigated in 85 post-puberal males aged 16-18. Percentage of fat was estimated from the sum of 4 skinfold thicknesses and body size characterized by: height and weight; arm, chest, calf and thigh circumferences; bi-acromial and bi-iliac diameters. PWC170 was significantly related to level of habitual activity and to most measures of body size; multiple regression analysis indicated that level of habitual activity and size, respectively, accounted for 34 and 37% of the variance in PWC170. When differences in the body weight of the subjects were statistically removed, percent fat was related positively to arm circumference, and negatively to height and bi-iliac diameter. There was no relationship between percent fat and level of habitual activity.