The aim of the research is to determine the effect of systematic mini-football classes on the level of general endurance of 1st- and 2nd-year students.

Methods and organization of the research. The scientific work involved 30 students aged 17–19, divided into experimental (n=13) and control (n=17) groups. The experimental group played mini-football twice a week for 60 minutes, while the control group performed a standard general physical preparation (GPP) program. The duration of the study was eight weeks. The level of general endurance was determined by the Cooper test result and the recovery heart rate (HR) one minute after the load. The indicators were recorded at the beginning and at the end of the experiment [1, 2].

Results and discussion. Before the study, the Cooper test result was 2230±180 m in the experimental group and 2190±170 m in the control group. After the 16-week cycle, the value for those playing mini-football increased to 2425±190 m (an increase of 8.7%) (p<0.05), whereas in the control group it only reached 2235±165 m (an increase of 2.1%) (p≥0.05). Recovery HR indicators also showed more pronounced dynamics in the experimental group: a decrease from 128±7 bpm to 118±6 bpm (p<0.05), which reflects an improvement in cardiorespiratory adaptation processes. In the control group, the indicator changed from 127±8 bpm to 124±7 bpm (p≥0.05), indicating a less pronounced training effect. The totality of data shows that mini-football provides a higher training stimulus due to variable intensity and a large game volume – this leads to accelerated development of aerobic capabilities and economization of cardiovascular activity.

Conclusions. Systematic mini-football classes contribute to a significant increase in the general endurance of 1st- and 2nd-year students. The noted improvements in the Cooper test and the decrease in recovery HR confirm the effectiveness of the game method compared to traditional GPP. Mini-football can be recommended as a key means of increasing physical performance and the health level of student youth within the framework of physical education classes.

References

1. Guba V.P., Popov G.I., Presnyakov V.V., Leontyeva M.S. Pedagogicheskiye izmereniya v sporte: metody, analiz i obrabotka rezultatov [Pedagogical measurements in sport: methods, analysis and processing of results]. Moscow: Sport. 2021. 324 p.
2. Guba V.P., Presnyakov V.V., Solodkov A.V., Martynenko I.V. Pokazateli fizicheskogo razvitiya i podgotovlennosti studentov-yunoshey mladshikh kursov [Indicators of physical development and fitness of lower-year male students]. Fizicheskaya kultura: vospitaniye, obrazovaniye, trenirovka. 2024. No. 5. Pp. 71-73.

No. 7, pp. 31–31

Received: 16.11.2025 | Published: 26.06.2026

CC BY 4.0