Abstract
The purposes of this study were to clarify the characteristics of growth and development of physical fitness with age, and to examine the influence of the difference of habitual exercise on physique and physical fitness of male students at a National College of Technology. A total of 132 males enrolled in 2001 were administered physique and physical fitness tests for three years. The 5 physique tests and 9 new physical fitness tests developed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science, and Technology of Japan were used The participated students were classified into 4 groups based on the frequencies of their exercise enforcement for three years. The mean differences were examined using two-way analysis of variance of one-factor repeated measurements. Body linearity and body bulk become larger with age, but the influence of exercise enforcement frequencies on physique was low. It is considered that the continuous exercise enforcement contributes to an increase of muscular power, agility, muscle endurance, and whole-body endurance, and an effect of continuous exercise with age is marked in muscle endurance. However, the influence of the continuous exercise enforcement on improving static strength and flexibility is not high. The lack of exercise by adolescent students may produce a decline of whole-body endurance, muscle endurance, and agility in spite of the growth period.
