Post-exercise Cardiovascular Status of Pupils in Ibadan

Abstract

Abstract
This paper comparatively examines the cardiovascular status measured in terms of heart
rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of primary school pupils in Ibadan
after going through a 12-week progressive resistance exercise training.
A total of one hundred and twenty (120) volunteered pupils were drawn purposively from four
(two public and two private) primary schools in Ibadan. The randomized classic experimental
research design with one experimental and one control group was employed in the study.
Systematic random sampling technique was used to allocate sixty (60) participants to each
of the two groups, namely: the progressive resistance exercise (PRE) and the control groups.
The PRE trainings adhered strictly to the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines on
quality and quantity of exercise trainings. The control group did not partake in any organised
training during the period. However, the pupils were not restricted from their normal daily
activities. The cardiovascular variables measured were subjected to frequency counts,
percentages, normative table scores, mean and standard deviation for analysis and discussions.
Results show that the average age of the pupils was 9 years 8 months, 68 (56.7%) of the
participants were male while 52 (43.3%) were female; the post-training mean height of the
participants in the PRE group is 1.36±0.09m while that of weight is 29.52± 5.82kg. It also
reveals that post-exercise HR (81.86bpm within 80-120bpm) of the participants were at the
normal level and their average post-exercise blood pressure (98.94/61.87mmHg) were
normal within 100-120/60-75mmHg.