Factor of physical fitness test and relationships with physical characteristics in young adult females and males

This study was made to investigate the factor of a physical fitness test developed by the Ministry of Education and which consists of seven different measurements such as side step, sargent jump, back strength, grips strength, trunk extrension, trunk flexion and step test, and the validity of estimation for the total score of the tests from several physical characteristics. Using the physical fitness test, morphological and physiological characteristics were determined for 71 young adult females and males. Physical characteristics of three groups separated according to the fitness test were compared among groups and differences in the lean body mass and maximal oxygen uptake were found to be statistically significant at 1% level between A and C groups. The simple correlation coefficients between total score of the tests and measurement value of each test were observed to highly significant, except the cases of the trunk extension and flexion test. Principal component analysis of the seven test items disclosed that the seven items could be grouped into two kinds of the component, that is, the muscular performance tests such as grips strength, sargent jump and so on, and the flexibility tests as trunk flexion and extension. The lean body mass and maximal oxygen uptake highly correlated with the total score of the tests. Regression equations of the total score on the lean body mass or maximal oxygen uptake and on both of them were calculated. We discussed the validity of the calculated total score as an index of physical fitness along the above regression equations from practical viewpoint.