The relationships between physical performance variables and academic performance in a group of Lebanese adolescents

Abstract

Research Aim: The goal of this study is to test several physical & health qualities and to compare the results with the students report card to see if a high athletic performance correlates to a high academic performance and vice versa. Methods: 166 males and 167 females between the ages of 12 and 18 participated in the studywhich was divided into 3 phases, the testing phase for each student took around 2 hours to complete. In phase 1, students were presented with a questionnaire asking them about their tanner stage, sleep quality (PSQI), general lifestyle (Par-Q), and general physical activity (IPAQ). Alongside the questionnaire students must complete the reaction time test (Human Benchmark test) and the grip strength test using a digital dynamometer. In phase 2, students complete the first half of the physical tests: 20m sprint, vertical jump (Sargent test), horizontal jump, 3 jump test. In phase 3, students completed to second half of the physical tests: VO2max (Beep test), maximum pushups, maximum sit-ups in 1 minute, and maximum squats in 1 minute. Results: The results showed that average academic performance was significantly correlated to VO2max (r= 0.334, P<0.001), maximum squats (r= 0.169, P<0.05), sleep quality (r = -0.309, P<0.001), and hours of exercise per week (r= 0.290, P<0.001) and academic results in young males. The results showed that average academic performance was significantly correlated to 20-meter sprint (r= -0.300, P<0.001), vertical jump (r= 0.252, P<0.001), horizontal jump (r= 0.158, P<0.05), 3-jump test (r= 0.155, P<0.05), pushups (r= 0.252, P<0.001), sit-ups (r= 0.216, P<0.01), squats (r= 0.169, P<0.05), sleep quality (r= -0.300, P<0.001), and hours of exercise per week (r= 0.396, P<0.001) in young females. Conclusion: In conclusion, average academic performance is significantly correlated to VO2max, maximum squats, sleep quality, and hours of exercise per week in young males. In young females, the average academic performance is significantly correlated to the 20-meter sprint, vertical jump, horizontal jump, 3-jump test, pushups, sit-ups, squats, sleep quality, and hours of exercise per week.