The New Physical Education at School: Correctional and Health-Improving Usage of Students’ Physiological Indexes as Markers of Physical Development and Health Disorders

Abstract

Aim. The article deals with establishing the efficiency of applying control and measuring indexes at Physical Education classes (physical development indexes, heart rate variability) as factors of health development and academic performance assessment. Materials and methods. We examined 20 fifth-grade male pupils (n = 20) from school No 90 (Togliatti), who formed the basic experimental group and followed a correction and development program. We also examined pupils of the same gender, age, and number at school No 91 (Togliatti) to form the control group with a standard school program. The following methods of diagnostics were used: a computer program ‘Express Assessment of Pupils’ Physical Health’ and heart rate variability assessment by means of Varicard 2.51 hardware and software complex. Results. The article provides the experimental justification of using the dynamics of functional indicators (physical development indexes, heart rate variability) as control and measuring indexes at Physical Education classes. We established that at the initial stage of the pedagogical experiment there were no significant differences between the indicators of physical health in the experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, after lessons, including the selection of correction and development exercises depending on physical development indexes and heart rate variability, we registered a significant improvement of the parameters studied. In the control group, there were no significant changes in physical development or health status. Therefore, physiological markers provide a maximal objectivation of physical development, health, and academic progress assessment in pupils at PE lessons. Conclusion. Measuring physical development and health indexes in screening mode allows: 1) to perform a dynamic control of children ontogenesis, 2) to detect and promptly prevent dysontogenesis, 3) to prevent schoolchildren’s disadaptation after overloads.

Individual-Typological Approach to the Assessment of Adaptation, Health and Psychophysiological Indicators of School Students Doing Sports

“…Based on PD indices, health and HRV data, the PE Correction and Health Program was developed, which served the basis for effects at PE forming stage for adaptation and health of children. Schoolchildren with deviation relative to the norm indices of PD and health were assigned to risk groups and were subjected to PE classes using physiologically justified correction and health load at PE classes, depending on disorders in a certain functional system of the organism (CVS, respiratory, muscular) determined via health indices [3,8].…”

“…The physiological basis of prenosological conditions is the depletion of human psychophysical abilities for full adaptation and reduction of its reserves under total increased loads of schoolchildren in the educational environment of educational institutions (EI), family and social setback [3,5,10].…”

“…Creation of modern digital IT-diagnostic methods at EI on the basis of mathematical analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) allows registering the regulatory effects on cardiovascular system, levels of health and adaptation of schoolchildren [3,4,9,15].…”

“…The CVS regulation system includes the following: 1) the effect of the CNS, the brain and its cortex; 2) reciprocal regulatory effects of the parasympathetic system activating sympathetic and restraining CVS activity; 3) synergistic (mixed) effects of CVS and VNS; 4) autonomous system of heart contractility regulation. Registration and tracking of the dynamics of these regulatory influences via screening and monitoring is a priority in the concept of new physical education at schools and universities [3,5].…”

“…They also determine the level of health and adaptation of the body. Thus, researchers have developed the assessment method using a set of HRV parameters, which allows studying individual-typological "portrait" of regulatory systems, adaptation and health of a child, taking into account his strengths and weaknesses, restrictions and ensuring individualized impacts by means and methods of physical education [3,5,10,13].…”