The Influence of Participation in an Aerobic Conditioning Class in College-Aged Students

Location

CSU 255

Start Date

27-4-2009 1:00 PM

End Date

27-4-2009 3:00 PM

Student's Major

Human Performance

Student's College

Allied Health and Nursing

Mentor's Name

Mary Visser

Mentor's Department

Human Performance

Mentor's College

Allied Health and Nursing

Description

The college years are highly influential in shaping adult behavior, especially diet and physical activity. Many college students may not have another opportunity to be educated about the benefits of participation in regular exercise, which is especially important due to the alarming increase in obesity. Currently, 35% of college students are overweight or obese (Mestek et al., 2008). Over 600 students are enrolled in aerobic fitness courses at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) each semester. We determined whether the participation in these classes actually impacts the fitness levels of students who attend regularly. Participants were selected in January 2009 from an aerobic conditioning course if they had a sedentary lifestyle, expressed willingness to attend class regularly and exercised only during class time (N=15-25). Each performed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) within one week of the start of class and then again at the end of the six week experimental period. Oxygen consumption was measured directly during each test. Student attendance and class participation was monitored carefully. Pre- and post-training VOamax, height, weight, resting blood pressure, resting heart rate, and body mass index were compared to determine whether participation influenced these factors. These results provided valuable information on the short-term physiological impact of a standard format, aerobic fitness class such as is offered at most universities.

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Apr 27th, 1:00 PM Apr 27th, 3:00 PM

The Influence of Participation in an Aerobic Conditioning Class in College-Aged Students

CSU 255

The college years are highly influential in shaping adult behavior, especially diet and physical activity. Many college students may not have another opportunity to be educated about the benefits of participation in regular exercise, which is especially important due to the alarming increase in obesity. Currently, 35% of college students are overweight or obese (Mestek et al., 2008). Over 600 students are enrolled in aerobic fitness courses at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) each semester. We determined whether the participation in these classes actually impacts the fitness levels of students who attend regularly. Participants were selected in January 2009 from an aerobic conditioning course if they had a sedentary lifestyle, expressed willingness to attend class regularly and exercised only during class time (N=15-25). Each performed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) within one week of the start of class and then again at the end of the six week experimental period. Oxygen consumption was measured directly during each test. Student attendance and class participation was monitored carefully. Pre- and post-training VOamax, height, weight, resting blood pressure, resting heart rate, and body mass index were compared to determine whether participation influenced these factors. These results provided valuable information on the short-term physiological impact of a standard format, aerobic fitness class such as is offered at most universities.

Recommended Citation

Kruger, BreAnna and Amanda Trost. "The Influence of Participation in an Aerobic Conditioning Class in College-Aged Students." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 27, 2009.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2009/oral-session-08/9