Physical fitness of Southwest Amazon schoolchildren in different sexual maturation stages

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the anthropometric and fitness variables of children and adolescents of both sexes at different stages of sexual maturation. The sample was composed by 436 students of Porto Velho, RO (218 boys and 218 girls). Tanner protocol was used to divide the sample in relation to the stages 1-4 and then anthropometry (weight, height and BMI) and physical fitness (flexibility, strength and run / walk) data were collected. This study was characterized as' 'ex post facto', so we used the mean and standard deviation, followed by analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) with post-hoc Bonferroni, adopting a significance level of 5 %. There were no differences in anthropometric variables for both sexes. However, differences were found in flexibility and run/walk for females and in strength and running/walking for males.