Background and Objectives: With respect to lack of information about the effect of intensity differences, type of sport participation and their relationships with the other health factors such as cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), the present study was conducted to evaluate the associations between sports participation, levels of Physical Activity (PA) and CRF.
Methods: The present analytical study was conducted on 406 undergraduate students aging 18-21 years from Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources in second semester of 2014. CRF was tested with Rockport Walk Test among all participants. Sports participation was assessed by Ledent questionnaire and habitual physical activity (PA) data was evaluated using metabolic equivalent (METs) self-reported questionnaire. All analyses were carried out using SPSS version 20.0. An independent T-test, Chi-square statistic, ANOVA and regression were employed to analyze data statistically.
Results: The participants with desired CRF and acceptable levels of PA were significantly engaged more active in organized or unorganized sport activities and also competitive sports compared to others (P < 0.05). Individuals with at least 3 hours of moderate to vigorous PA per day had a better CRF (P<0.05).Regression results showed that participation in any level of competitive sports regardless of winning or loss guarantee the CRF to some extent.
Conclusion: Participation in competitive sports along with adopting active life style (2:30 min PA with moderate intensity and 30 min of competitive sport) may increase the chance of gaining CRF.
