Ph.D., Associate Professor S.S. Matveev¹
Dr.Hab., Professor R.M. Asadullin¹
Ph.D., associate professor M.V. Tarasova¹
Dr.Biol., Professor E.Sh. Shayakhmetova¹
Ph.D., Professor L.M. Matveeva^1
1Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmulla

Keywords: physical culture and mass sport, health promotion technologies, physical fitness level, students.

Introduction. Promotion of physical culture among the citizens of the Russian Federation, particularly university students, is the primary target of the modern Russian society.

However, according to the summarized data of the survey of Bashkir university students, only 30 percent of the respondents practice jogging, cycling in summer and ice-skating, skiing in winter. According to the “Health Behavior Index” test analysis 26 percent of university students compensate the daily amount of motor activity by doing sports in sport centers, practicing recreational physical activities and healthy lifestyle.

The purpose of the study was to examine physical fitness level of university students in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Materials and methods. In order to examine the physical fitness level of Bashkir students, the first-year students from the following academic institutions took part in the study: Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmulla (BSPU), Bashkir State University (BashSU), Bashkir State Medical University (BSMU), Ufa Law Institute (ULI), Ufa State Petroleum Technological University (USPTU), Bashkir Institute of Physical Culture (BIPC). The subjects were divided into two groups: the first group included technical and humanitarian students, and the second group - students who took part in the creativity competition, i.e. had been preparing to reach the qualifying physical culture standards long before the admission tests.

The following research methods were applied: analysis of literary sources and public documents, educational ascertaining experiment, mathematical methods of statistics.

Physical fitness of the university students was assessed using the following tests: women’s 100-meter dash and 2000-meter race; men’s 3000-meter race; men’s pull-ups on horizontal bar (number of reps); women’s push-ups (number of reps); crunches (number of reps); standing long jump (cm); bending forward standing on a bench with straight legs (cm).

Results and discussion. The study presents the comparative analysis of the physical fitness indices of university students with the GTO-2014 standards for students of 18-24 years of age (6^th level). The physical fitness indices of female technical and humanitarian students were compared to those of the bronze badge standards; the physical fitness indices of female students of field-specific universities were to correspond to those of the silver badge standards. The evaluation results of physical fitness of the Bashkir female students of 18-24 years of age are given in Table 1.

The “100-meter dash” test results showed the low level of physical fitness of female technical and humanities students – 17.9+0.54 sec, their indices considerably varied from both the GTO standards and the indices of the field-specific students (р = 0.011 and р = 0.001, respectively). Minimum (17 sec) and maximum (19.4 sec) values indicate the necessity of specialized physical training of the female technical and humanities students to raise their physical fitness level.

Table 1. Physical fitness level of Bashkir female students, n=476

Endurance test results indicate the necessity of complementary training sessions or adding unconventional means to the physical training routine in order to improve endurance skills due to the low indices of the female students in both of the groups in the “2000-meter race” test (12.10+0.24 sec - for female technical and humanities students, and 11.32+0.33 sec - for field-specific students). Concerning the GTO standards, the differences were statistically significant (р = 0.001 and р = 0.056, respectively).

It is to be noted that the 18-24 year-old females may in fact claim to bronze and silver badges based on their strength indices in the push-ups test. Statistically significant differences between the GTO standards and the test results of female technical, humanities and field-specific students were not detected (р = 0.146 and р = 0.142). However, as seen from examination of female technical and humanities students some of them failed the test (min – 0, max – 13). 

The “crunches” test result was 33.8+2.64 reps for female technical, humanities university students and 39.8+1.78 times for field-specific ones. The variance between physical fitness indices and the GTO standards was insignificant (р = 0.156; р = 0.172), although the technical and humanities females showed minimum values equal to 20.

It should be highlighted that speed and strength qualities of females of all three majors complied with the GTO standards. The “standing long jump” test results were 170.4+3.54 cm for female technical and humanities students, and 178.6+4.31 cm for those of field-specific universities. However, the minimum values were registered too (160 cm and 165 cm, respectively).

According to the “bending forward standing on a bench with straight legs” test to measure flexibility the results of the women of 18-24 years of age meet the bronze and silver badge standards. The difference between the physical fitness indices of the female students and the GTO standards was not statistically significant (р = 0.231 and р = 0.233). Nevertheless, the examination of female technical and humanities students revealed that some of them completely failed the test (min – 0, max – 16).

As seen from analysis of physical fitness of the female students of 18-24 years of age in the Republic of Bashkortostan, their strength, speed-strength and flexibility characteristics meet the GTO standards. This may be due to the intentional choice of modern women described as a tendency to do sports at sport centers due to the benefits for personality development, inner and physical beauty, cheerfulness and vivacity, optimism and self-confidence. However, women do not include aerobic activities in the workout routine during training sessions at sport centers. Thus, physical fitness indices of the female technical and humanities students were statistically different from those of the GTO standards, which was proved in the “2000-meter race” test. The applied physical training of the female field-specific students proved to comply with the silver badge standards.

Evaluation results of physical fitness of Bashkir male students of 18-24 years of age are presented in Table 2.

It is to be noted that the “100-meter dash” test results revealed good speed qualities in the male field-specific students, complying with the silver badge GTO standards. The statistically significant difference was not registered between their results (14.8+0.36 sec) and the GTO standards (р = 0.211). According to the test results the male students of technical and humanities majors had a low level of physical fitness (16.1+0.43 sec) which is 1 second less than the GTO standards. The differences are statistically significant (р = 0.001).

Endurance test results should be noted, since the Bashkir male students of 18-24 years of age of all majors failed the test, the difference being statistically significant (р = 0.001). This may be due to the fact that the male field-specific students had not been preparing for reaching the qualifying standards for this distance before the admission tests (they would only do 2000-meter race).

Table 2. Physical fitness level of Bashkir male students, n = 524

As seen from the test results the 18-24 year-old men in the Republic of Bashkortostan have excellent strength qualities. It was proved that strength qualities of male students of all given majors and speed and strength qualities of males of field-specific majors meet the GTO standards. The “pull-ups on horizontal bar” test results were 9.6+1.62 reps for male technical and humanities students and 10.5+1.21 reps for male field-specific ones. Minimum values were registered too (4 and 7, respectively).

As seen from the “bending forward in standing position” test male technical and humanities students need to improve their flexibility. Regarding the GTO standards, their results were statistically significant (р = 0.001). 

As seen from the analysis of physical fitness of the Bashkir males of 18-24 years of age, male technical and humanities students need to improve their physique, since they met the GTO standard only in shoulder strength measured in the “pull-ups on horizontal bar” test. Male field-specific students reached all the GTO standards: strength, speed-strength and flexibility characteristics. However, they need more running practice to step up their endurance. 

Conclusions

• 18-24 year-old female technical and humanities students should improve their results in 100-meter dash and 2000-meter race; female field-specific students should practice 2000-meter race.
• 18-24 year-old male technical and humanities students need to improve speed, speed-strength, endurance and flexibility; male field-specific students are to step up running practice to improve their endurance.

References

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Corresponding author: matveevaL57@mail.ru