COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF INTENSITY LEVELS OF CONTINUOUS TRAINING ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BODY COMPOSITION VARIABLES OF ADOLESCENTS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study compared the effect of different intensity levels of continuous training on physiological and body composition variables of adolescent students of Imperial School Kudend Kaduna Metropolis, Nigeria. The training programme comprised warm-up, continuous jogging and cool down activities ineach training session. A total of eighty(80) overweight adolescent male students aged 15 to 17volunteered to participate in this study. A 1 x 2 x 3 factorial experimental research design was used. Three experimental study groups and one control group in which participants were given different treatments. In this design, participants underwent low, moderate, and high-intensity training

for 9 weeks.The training consisted of continuous jogging for 30 minutes on three alternate days a week at < 40-45% , < 45-50% and < 50-55% HR max of the participants from 1^st to 3^rd,4^th-6^th and 7-

9^th weeks of training, respectively, for low-intensity group; < 50-55%, < 55-60%, 60-65% HR max of the participants from 1^st-3^rd,4^th-6th and 7-9^th weeks of training, respectively, for moderate-intensity group and < 60-65%, < 65-70%, < 70-75% HR maxof the participants from 1^st– 3^rd,4^th– 6^th and 7-9^th weeks of training, respectively, for high-intensity group. Rate of Perceived Exertion scale was used to monitor the exertion of training throughout the research period. All participants were tested for MAP, RHR with Electronic sphygmomanometre (automatic arm cuff Blood Pressure and heart rate monitor) Omron CEO 197 and %BF and VF with Omron HBF 516B full body sensor body composition monitor and VO₂ max with cooper‟s 12-minute run test, before starting the training (base-line), this was repeated after 3^rd, 6^th and 9^th weeks of training. The baseline average values for MAP were 85.717, 85.365, 84.951 and 84.134 mm Hg, RHR 75.00, 74.600, 73.00, 72.950 bpm, VO₂max35.336,

35.478, 345.464 and 35.324 ml.kg /min^-1, %BF 21.25, 21.40, 20.85 and 20.95 and VF 11.450, 11.650,

10.750 and 10.700,for low, moderate, high and control groups, respectively. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and repeated-measures analysis of variance and Scheffe post-hoc test at 0. 05 level of significance. The participants MAP mean value of 82.600 mm Hg -3.6%, 76.615 mm Hg – 10.3%, 78.184 mm Hg -6.9%, 86.170 mm Hg -2.4%for low, moderate, high-intensity and control group respectively. RHR mean value 69.00 bpm -8.0%, 66.450 bpm -10.9%, 64.100 bpm -12.2% and 75.300 bpm 3.0%, for low, moderate, high-intensity and control groups, respectively.VO₂max mean value 42.335ml.kg./min^-1 16.5%, 49.521 ml.kg./min^-1 28.4%,53.740 ml.kg./min^-1 34%, 33.44 ml.kg /min^-1 -5.3%, for low, moderate, high-intensity and control group respectively. %BF mean value 17.10 -19.5%, 15.65 -26.9%, 12.05 -42.2% and 21.92 4.6%.for low, moderate, high-intensity and control groups respectively and VF mean value 8.250 -27.5%9, 7.150 -38.6%, 4.200 60.9% and 11.530 2.9% for low, moderate and high- intensity and control group respectively after 9 weeks of continuous training. The results revealed significant decrease in MAP (P < 0.01), RHR (P < 0.001), %BF(P < 0.001) andVF (P <0.001) at low, moderate and high-intensity training. The result also indicated a significant increase in VO₂max (P <0.001) across the 3 training intensities due to 9 weeks of continuous training. It was concluded that low, moderate and high-intensity continuous training conducted at 40-55% HR max low-intensity, 55 to 65% HR max for moderate-intensity and 60 to 75% HR max for high-intensity for 30 minutes on three alternate days a week for 9 weeks significantly decrease MAP, RHR, %BF, and VF and significantlyincreasedVO₂max of overweight male adolescent students. Since continuous training was found to significantly improve the physiological and body composition variables, it was recommended that health professionals and fitness centres should use this method of training on overweight adolescents to reduce cardiovascular risk factor and improve body oxygen transport and utilisation.

COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS OF INTENSITY LEVELS OF CONTINUOUS TRAINING ON PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BODY COMPOSITION VARIABLES OF ADOLESCENTS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA