Physical Fitness Differences Between Prepubescent Boys and Girls

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze in which physical capabilities boys and girls are closer or distant. An additional objective was to find which of the body fat, physical activity, and somatotype factors have a greater effect on prepubescent children's physical fitness. This was a cross-sectional study involving 312 children (10.8 ± 0.4 years). The physical fitness assessment employed sets of aerobic fitness, strength, flexibility, speed, agility, and balance. The boys presented higher values in all selected tests, except tests of balance and flexibility, in which girls scored better. Gender differences in the physical fitness were greatest in the explosive strength of upper (p ≤ 0.01, η(p)(2) = 0.09) and lower limbs (p ≤ 0.01, η(p)(2) = 0.08), although with a medium-size effect of gender, and smaller in the abdominal (p > 0.05, η(p)(2) = 0.007) and upper limbs (p > 0.05, η(p)(2) = 0.003) muscular endurance, and trunk extensor strength and flexibility (p > 0.05, η(p)(2) = 0.001). The endomorphic (p ≤ 0.01, η(p)(2) = 0.26) in the girls, and the ectomorphic (p ≤ 0.01, η(p)(2) = 0.31) and mesomorphic (p ≤ 0.01, η(p)(2) = 0.26) in the boys, had the high-sized effect on the physical fitness. The physical activity in the girls, and the endomorphic and body fat in the boys, did not have a significant effect. These findings can help in the planning of activities that take into account the success and motivation of both boys and girls and thus increase levels of physical activity and physical fitness at school. However, in prepubescent children, one cannot neglect the influence of genetic determinism, observed from the morphoconstitutional point of view.

Developmental Differences Between Boys and Girls Result in Sex-Specific Physical Fitness Changes From Fourth to Fifth Grade

“…Boys performed better in the mile run and standing broad jump in both grades, indicating better aerobic fitness and lower body power when compared to girls, as reported elsewhere (3,7,23). However, improvements in power from fourth to fifth grade were not detected in either sex.…”

“…While others have shown greater flexibility in girls (23), it is important to note that fifth and six graders (10.8 ± 0.4 years) were used, and at this point boys were both taller and heavier, which likely eliminated any transient advantage that occurred at the onset of pubescence in girls. Prior to puberty, sex-specific…”

Relationship between the modified star excursion balance test and the 4x10 m shuttle run test in children

“…Concretely, girls and boys obtained similar scores during the SEBT. Previous studies reported that women showed greater static balance results among adults and greater static balance among prepubescent participants (Karppanen et al, 2012;Marta, Marinho, Barbosa, Izquierdo, & Marques, 2012) and participants aged 20 years (Sekulic et al, 2013). It is probable that the non-signi cant di erences in anthropometric measures (i.e.…”

Efeito das variáveis biológicas, socioculturais e motoras na prestação do lançamento em crianças pré-pubertárias

“…Recentemente tem sido apontada a necessidade da investigação considerar a coinfluência de variáveis ambientais, antropométricas e morfológicas sobre a prestação motora de crianças pré-pubertárias (Marta et al, 2011;Marta, Marinho, Barbosa, Izquierdo, & Marques, 2012). Esta necessidade é especialmente premente no período pré-pubertário em que a frequência de aulas de educação física e de atividades extracurriculares (e.g., clubes desportivos e do desporto escolar e atividades desportivas organizadas) poderá representar um estímulo considerável sobre o desenvolvimento motor da criança (Marta et al, 2012).…”

“…Esta necessidade é especialmente premente no período pré-pubertário em que a frequência de aulas de educação física e de atividades extracurriculares (e.g., clubes desportivos e do desporto escolar e atividades desportivas organizadas) poderá representar um estímulo considerável sobre o desenvolvimento motor da criança (Marta et al, 2012). Face ao atrás exposto, a possibilidade de investigar o efeito de variáveis do domínio biológico e ambiental na prestação motora de rapazes e raparigas pré-púberes poderá enriquecer de forma inequívoca o corpo de conhecimento atual.…”