Author(s): GROßE SIEMER, J., THIENES, G., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF VECHTA , Country: GERMANY, Abstract-ID: 836

INTRODUCTION:
Supporting people to adopt and maintain an active lifestyle is a worthwhile goal. Across Europe, around 27% of over 15-year-olds participate in self-organized sport without supervision. In addition to promoting motor fitness, this emphasizes the need to develop a training competence, that enables people to plan, carry out and evaluate their training activities independently according to their individual requirements and without the need for supervision. Training competence encompasses knowledge on effects, exercises and methods of training and the application of that knowledge as well as perceiving exertion and pacing training accordingly. Here we investigate the relationship between physical fitness (PF) and training competence (TC). This is based on the assumption that training competence is acquired during the training process.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with adolescents in German schools from grades 5-12 (138m / 77f; M 16.05 SD 2.56 years) and bivariate Pearson correlation and (multiple) linear regression analysis were performed to analyze the relationship between PF (independent variable) and TC (dependent variable). PF was determined with different tests for strength, coordination, flexibility and aerobic endurance and values were standardized to ensure comparability. TC (five facets with three items each) was collected using a standardized questionnaire with five-point Likert scales [1].
RESULTS:
The standardized total score for PF showed a moderate positive correlation with total TC (n = 215; r = .318; p = <.001). Significant correlations were found for all five facets (r = .16 - .35). Differences in the correlations between girls and boys are not significant; only slight differences were found between some classes for three facets. The regression, controlled for sex and age, explained 18% of the variance in total TC (r2 = .18, f (3, 209) = 15.29, p <.001) and showed a significant association with total TC for PF (beta = .28, p <.001). Significant associations were found for four of the five facets (beta = .11 - .30). Age was negatively associated with total TC (beta = -.26, p <.001).
CONCLUSION:
As expected, higher PF in adolescents correlates positively with TC overall and PF is a predictor of TC. Future research should include the assessment of training experience as a suspected moderator between PF and TC [2] and beyond that help clarify the unexpected negative correlation between age and TC.
References:
[1] Braksiek, M. et al. (2022). In M. Wegner & J. Juergensen (Hrsg.), Sport, Mehr & Meer: Sportwissenschaft in gesellschaftlicher Verantwortung: 25. Dvs-Hochschultag, Kiel (S. 441). Feldhaus, Edition Czwalina
[2] Thienes, G. et al. (2022). In M. Wegner & J. Juergensen (Hrsg.), Sport, Mehr & Meer: Sportwissenschaft in gesellschaftlicher Verantwortung: 25. Dvs-Hochschultag, Kiel (S. 439). Feldhaus, Edition Czwalina.