This writer conducted an 8-month-long survey on the physical constitution and basic physical strength of a total of 92 sports talented students of a physical education high school in Seoul.
During the survey conducted from March 1, 1986 to October31, 1986, 77 male students and 15 female students were selected to measure their physical structure and basic physical strength for the period of 12 years from their 1st grade of primary school to 3rd grade of high school.
The followings are the results of the survey in which the physical constitution of the students was measured by body height, body weight, chest-girth and sitting height. Their basic physical strength, meanwhile, was measured by 100m run, standing long jump, middle-distance run, throwing pitch, chin-up, hanging-down with crooked arms and sir-up.
A. Physical Constitution Measurement
1. Body Height
The average height of the students surveyed when they were 6 years old was 117.92±4.73cm for male and 116.82±4.88cm for female. Putting on years, their height grew straight until the age of 15 years old for male students and 13 years old for female students. Since then their height grew slow until the age of 17 when they were the highest with 171.95±5.33cm for male and 162.63±4.31cm for female. The maximum annual growth age group for both men and women was between 11 and 12 years of age by 7.57cm and 6.86cm, respectively.
2. Body Weight
The average weight for the students when they were 6 years old was 20.70±2.55kg and 20.13±7.82kg, respectively. With their ages getting on, they gained weight straight until the age of 15 years old for male students and 14 years for female students. Their heaviest weight was at the age of 17 years for both men and women with 67.84±9.45kg and 61.63±8.81kg, respectively. The maximum annual growth age of the weight took place at the age between 12 and 13 years old for mans and 11 and 12 years old for woman, respectively, by 6.46kg and 6.66kg.
3. Chest-girth
Man´s average chest-girth at the age of 6 was 58.41±2.66cm while woman´s at the same age was 56.59±1.91cm. With the ages putting on, they gained width of the chest straight until the age of 15 for male and 13 for female. Since then their chest showed slow growth until the age of 17 years old when their chest was broadest with 92.00±5.68cm for male and 86.90±4.94 for female.
4. Sitting Height
At the age of 6, man´s average sitting height was 66.98±4.56cm. The woman´s at the same age was 64.83±3.91cm. Their sitting height grew straight until the age of 15 for male and 13 for female. They showed the highest sitting height at the age of 17 years with 93.45±2.98cm for male students 88.11±2.60cm for female students.
5. Comparison of Physical Constitution
The students´ height, weight, chest-girth and sitting height in all ages were superior to those of the average Koreans in the same ages. Their body structure at the age of 17 was even predominant over the average Koreans´ standard measurement at the age of 23 year old.
B. Physical Constitution Measurement for Each Athlete
In case of average body height, those male students specialized in skating, Taekwondo, judo and archery were predominant. For example, male skater´s average height was 177.85±1.63cm. In case of female student, field and track athletes were the tallest of al with 166.12±4.62cm. Heavier than others in case of body weight were those male students who specialized in judo, wrestling, archery, Taekwondo and cycling. The lightest male athletes were swimmers and gymnasts. In case of woman´s weight, the shooting players were the heaviest and the gymnasts were the lightest. In the field of average chest-girth for male students, the broadest were judoists, wrestlers, weightlifters and boxers. The narrowest in the male chest-girth were badminton players and field and track athletes. Woman archers had the broadest chest and the gymnasts the narrowest. In the field of man´s sitting height, the tallest were boxers and the shortest were gymnasts. In case of woman´s sitting height, the field and track athletes were the highest and the gymnasts the shortest.
C. Basic Physical Strength Measurement
1. 100m Run
There were wide differences in the 100m run record among each athlete. The average record for male students was 13.26±0.87 seconds. The female students´ average record was 15.99±1.24 seconds. They were superior to other high school students in the running.
2. Standing Long Jump
The average record of the standing long jump was 253.18±18.33cm for male and 205.00±12.36cm for female.
3. Middle-Distance Run (1,000m run for male and 800m run for female)
Man´s average record was 220.07±14.28 seconds and woman´s average record was 254.07±11.36 seconds.
4. Throwing Pitch
Male students threw pitch at an average record of 50.82±14.06cm. Woman´s throwing pitch record was 26.0±6.94cm.
5. Chin-up
The average man´s chin-up record was 12.69±5.78 times.
6. Hanging-down with Crooked Arms
Woman students hung down on the horizontal bar with crooked arms at an average of 26.83±9.24 seconds.
7. Sit-up
The average sit up for male students was recorded at 64.73±4.87 times. Woman´s record was 55.00±5.41 times.
8. Comparison of Basic Physical Strength
As a result of the survey on the basic physical strength, the sports talented students of the physical education high school showed superiority to other students of general high schools.
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