INFLUENCES OF GYMNASTICS ON BODY COMPOSITION AND CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION OF ATHLETES

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Aerobics is a recreational, ornamental, rhythmic, and expressive sport. It is widely used in physical education in colleges and universities because it is also believed that this sport benefits the cardiopulmonary function and the body composition of the practitioners. Objective: Study the influences of aerobic gymnastics on body composition and cardiopulmonary function in its practitioners. Methods: 40 college students volunteered for the research sample. The living conditions and learning level of the subjects were the same. The students were divided into two groups for research. There was no significant difference between the groups comparing the volunteers’ age, height, and weight. The high-load group performed exercises with a maximum heart rate of 220, while the low-load group performed the same protocol under a maximum heart rate of 195 beats per minute. The intervention took place over 40 and 60 minutes of exercise, respectively, for eight weeks. The POLAR monitor was used to check the kinematic performance of the athletes. The data were processed statistically. Results: Aerobic gymnastics influenced the body composition of college students with significant differences in bust circumference, waist, hip, thigh, and skinfold thickness (P<0.05). The athletes' heart rate, pulmonary ventilation, and diastolic pressure increased significantly after aerobic gymnastics. The study showed that the resting heart rate of the volunteers decreased significantly after exercise, and their lung function returned to normal (P<0.05). Conclusion: Aerobic exercise can improve the body composition, physiology, and cardiopulmonary function of its practitioners, and its greater encouragement in colleges and universities is recommended. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.