A comparison of young female rope skippers with untrained matched controls
Date
1999
Authors
Peters, Jill T.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare measures of fitness in 11 experienced female competitive rope skippers, aged 8 - 15 years, with 11 untrained control participants matched by age and maturation. A secondary purpose was to evaluate the exercise intensity of a typical rope skipping training session. The experienced rope skippers trained 3 times a week, for 60 – 90 minutes. Self-assessed maturity status was used to separate subjects into prepubescent (6 experienced, 6 control) and pubescent (5 experienced, 5 control) groups. Stature and weight were recorded and the following measures of physical fitness were assessed: maximal oxygen uptake (V02max) predicted by a 20-meter shuttle run test, peak power in ls and 5s and total work over 30s estimated from a Wingate Anaerobic Cycle test, muscular power predicted from vertical jump, muscular endurance measured by partial curl ups and straight-legged push ups, dynamic balance assessed by the Modified Bass Test of Dynamic Balance, and flexibility measured by the Leighton flexometer for shoulder flexion/extension and the sit & reach test for general body flexibility.
A two-way ANOV A revealed no significant rope skipping experience (trained vs. untrained) main effect or an experience by maturity status interaction for any dependent measure. A significant maturity effect (p < 0.05) was found for height, weight, V02max, peak power in ls & 5s, total work over 30s, muscular power, balance, and left shoulder extension. High reliability (r = 0.89) was reported for the straight-legged push ups performed by the females in this study, indicating its appropriate use among similar populations. Both rope skippers and control subjects exhibited normal to higher fitness levels when compared to nonnative and criterion standards. Heart rates monitored in 2 subjects during a typical rope skipping training session demonstrated great variability, with brief periods of high intensity work combined with extended periods of low intensity activity, reflecting a less than optimal work:rest ratio and intensity level for effective aerobic training. The lack of any rope skipping training effects may be attributed to a combination of low training intensity (< 60% max HR) and duration (< 30 min). It is also possible that the control participants had higher physical fitness levels than that expected of a normal, untrained population of females.