Comprehensive evaluation of the functional state in senior schoolchildren with varying levels of daily motor activity

Abstract

The study of human motor activity continues to be a relevant area in the field of physical education. Purpose. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between functional body indicators in senior schoolchildren, considering their health status and daily cyclic motor activity. Materials and methods. A comprehensive examination was performed on 255 senior schoolchildren in the 10th grade from schools in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. The assessment included a pediatrician's evaluation, life history collection, and various instrumental methods such as pedometry, anthropometry, bioimpedance analysis, and hemodynamic parameter assessment. Daily locomotion counts were recorded using an electronic pedometer over seven consecutive days. Noninvasive functional testing of the body was performed using the "MedicalSoft" Sports Testing System (MS FIT- 01). Results. We classified the schoolchildren into three groups based on their average daily step count. The first group consisted of those who walked fewer than 5,000 steps per day, the second included those taking 5,000– 10,000 steps daily, and the third comprised those exceeding 10,000 steps per day. The study revealed that 54.7% of adolescents had physical activity levels between 5,000 and 10,000 steps per day, while a quarter were categorized as "low-active," walking fewer than 5,000 steps daily. An evaluation of the impact of health status on locomotor activity showed that students in the first health group exhibited the highest levels of physical activity, while those in the third functional health group had the lowest. Increased physical activity was associated with enhanced cardiac reserves, as indicated by the cardiac index and minute blood circulation volume. Additionally, schoolchildren with higher physical activity levels had the lowest fat mass and the highest muscle mass in their body composition. Conclusions. The results of the study can be used to plan and adjust work programs for the physical training of senior schoolchildren, as well as to promote physical activity among young people.