Determination of cardiovascular endurance levels in sedentary high school students

Determination of Cardiovascular Endurance Levels in Sedentary High School Students Aim: The purpose of the study is to examine cardiovascular endurance levels of high school students. Materials and Method: Sedentary students between 14 and 19 years of age (female 15.56±0.98, male 15.63±1.03) who attended Gürün Anadolu High School participated in the study. Each participant was informed in advance of the study and a voluntary consent form was obtained from the participants. Participants were subjected to a 1600-meter walk test and a Harvard step test. Sedentary volunteers, 57 males / 55 females, participated in one mile run-and-walk test. Sedentary volunteers, 60 males / 60 females, participated in Harvard step test. Prior to the beginning of the tests, the height and weight of the individuals were measured. The pulse and oxygen saturation of the individuals were measured at the moments of first, third and fifth after the test ended and before the test began. Analysis of the data was made according to SPSS statistics and the level of significance was concluded as p< 0.05. Results: In one mile run-and-walk test (1600 m running test), it was observed that there was a significant difference in mean heart rate between males and females p<0.05. There was a significant difference between the mean values of the time of completion of the 1600 m running test by males and females (p<0.05). During the 1600 m running and Harvard step test recovery period, there was no difference in the participants' parameters. There was no significant difference between oxygen saturations at beginning, recovery 1st, 3rd, and 5th minutes in both tests. Significant differences were found between heart rate and oxygen saturation values (beginning, recovery 1st, 3rd, and 5th minutes) in the intra-group comparisons of both groups. Conclusion: It was concluded at the idea; the individuals living in sedentary lifestyle should practice regular, planned and programmed sport exercises to extent of aerobic during their lifetime due to the weakness of their heart endurance systems. Key Words: Sedentary Lifestyle, Cardiovascular Endurance, Pulse, Oxygen Consumption, Aerobic Capacity