Personalization of physical education based on the study of body composition and body vegetative support in female students

Abstract

The pursuit of innovative approaches to enhance physical education for youth remains a pressing concern, underscored by persistently low indicators of psychophysical and somatic health among students globally. Research objective: To personalize physical activity and investigate body composition and heart rate variability among female students with varying levels of somatic health and functional characteristics. Materials and methods. The study encompassed 167 female students from Volga National Research Medical University (Russia) aged 19.2 ± 1.3 years. According to the medical examination, 105 girls had a special medical group for PE classes and 62 had a preparatory one. Body length and weight were determined using floor scales with a height meter, the indicators of body component composition were evaluated using a bioimpedance study on the hardware complex «MedicalSoft Sports Testing System». The state of the body vegetative supply was studied according to the characteristics of the heart rate variability indicators state. The Poly-Spectrum device was used the assessment was carried out taking into account the standardized protocol for recording a cardiointervalogram. For dynamic monitoring of morphofunctional status, indicators of fat and muscle mass, body mass index, phase angle, total, intra-and extracellular water content in the body, and basal metabolism were evaluated. The parameters of heart rate, temporal and spectral indicators of heart rate variability and stress index were analyzed. Results. It was found that the girls in the preparatory group had higher indicators of fat and muscle mass, intracellular and extracellular water, phase angle, basal metabolism and body mass index. Among the students of the special group, there is a tendency of relative tension of regulatory systems, increased centralization of heart rhythm and sympathetic activity. The biological age parameter was recorded in a higher value among the subjects of the special health group. The correlation analysis demonstrated the presence of direct correlations of the biological age indicator with the stress index parameters and the fat mass level as well as inverse correlations with the indices of the total power of the spectrum, the RMSSD index and the phase angle. The study of other body characteristics influence over the variability of biological age may be of interest for further research. Conclusions. The obtained research results of the girls' body morphofunctional parameters make it possible to identify a risk group for physical exertion among them. It individualizes female students’ physical activity in PE classes at an educational institution. © 2024, Editura Universitatii din Pitesti. All rights reserved.