THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURES IN A DAY ON SELECTED PHYSICAL FITNESS COMPONENTS OF YOUNG BOYS

the influence OF VARIOUS environmental TEMPERATURES in a day on selected physical fitness componentS of Young boys

Titto Cherian¹ & Dr. George Abraham²

tittocherian@gmail.com, profgeorgeabraham@gmail.com

¹PhD Scholar, JJT University, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan

²Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to analyse the influence of various environmental temperature in a day on selected physical fitness components of boys. Fifteen young boys students were selected as subjects and the age ranged between 17 and 20 years. Speed and Muscular endurance were selected as criterion variables and they were collected at three different temperatures (i.e. 24.7^oC, 34.1^oC, 27.3^oC) in morning, afternoon and evening respectively from each subject. The collected data was statistically analysed by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Scheffe’s test was applied as a post hoc test to determine the significant differences between the mean. The result of the study shows that only the strength endurance component showed significant difference in the level of performance, it was also found that the strength endurance was better in evening time i.e. (27.3^oC) rather than the other two temperatures such as morning and afternoon.

Key Words: Environmental temperature, speed, muscular endurance.

Introduction

The degree of hotness or coldness of an environment is the environmental temperature. Exercise in hot climate or hot environment causes a magnification of normal response to physical work, and increase in core, and skin temperature, metabolic heat production sweat rate, pulse rate and systolic blood pressure.  That response assists the body in shedding excess heat by convection, radiation, conduction, and evaporation (David, 1986).  But in cold or extreme heat, the larger area may provide too little protection from the ambient temperature.  When the environmental temperature rises above the skin temperature, (normally around 34oC) the circulatory adjustments are not sufficient for heat dissipation by convection and negative gradient between the skin and environment (Benjamin, 1967). When external temperatures are greater than the skin temperature and a negative gradient appears, the body is actually gaining heat by radiation and convection (Larry, 1981). Body temperature is usually at its lowest (about 36.1oC) in the early morning hours and at its highest (about 37.4oC) in the late afternoon or early evening.

Muscles are made up of a combination of fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers. Fast-twitch fibers contract rapidly and slow-twitch fibers contract more slowly and with lower level of force. If all other things are equal, athletes with longest muscle fibers and greater percentage of fast switch fiber should have the ability to run faster (Jarver, 1978) than an athlete with shorter slow -twitch fibers. Speed is the product of two factors, stride length and stride frequency. Increasing either factor automatically increases a runners sprinting speed (Eicher, 1975).

Strength endurance is one of the most important components of physical fitness (Uppal & Alifereti, 1984). It is a conditional ability which depends largely on the energy liberation process in the muscles. All movements in sports are caused by muscle contractions and therefore, strength is an integral part of all motor abilities.  Strength endurance is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to overcome resistance or to act against resistance for longer duration under condition of fatigue or tiredness (Singh, 1991). Hence the investigator made an attempt to determine the physical fitness components such as speed and muscular endurance of young boys at various environmental temperatures.

Methodology

The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of various environmental temperature in a day on selected physical fitness components of boys. Fifteen female students studying in Bachelor of Physical Education, Department of Physical Education, Christ College Irinjalakkuda, Kerala were selected as subjects for this study.  They were between 17 to 20 years of age group.  The variables selected for this study was speed and strength endurance. They were measured by using 50 mts. run and bend knee sit-ups. It was collected at three different temperatures (i.e. 24.7^oC, 34.1^oC, 27.3^oC) in morning, afternoon and evening such as 6 am, 1 pm and 5.45 pm respectively from each subject of this study. The obtained data from the variable were statistically analysed with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).  Whenever the F ratio was found to be significant, Scheffe’s test was applied as a post hoc test to determine the mean differences.  The level of confidence was fixed at 0.05 levels of all the cases to find out the significance.

Results and Discussion

                                                                    Table – I

Analysis of Variance of the Environmental Temperature of Morning, Afternoon and Evening of Speed

Mean			SOV	Sum of Squares	df	Mean Squares	F Ratio
Morning	Afternoon	Evening
8.54	8.39	8.29	Between	0.47	2	0.23	1.71
			Within	5.72	42	0.14

                                                            

                                                               Table – II

Analysis of Variance of the Environmental Temperature of Morning, Afternoon and Evening of Strength Endurance

Mean			SOV	Sum of Squares	df	Mean Squares	F Ratio
Morning	Afternoon	Evening
25.87	26.20	30.07	Between	163.51	2	81.76	4.80*
			Within	715.07	42	17.03

     * Significant F = (2, 42) (0.05) = 3.22,    p £ 0.05

From the table-I, the mean values of the speed of morning, afternoon and evening are 8.54, 8.39 and 8.29 respectively.  The obtained F ratio of 1.17 is lesser than the table value of 3.22 required for significant at 0.05 level of confidence. The results of the study indicate that there is an insignificant difference between the mean of morning, afternoon and evening environmental temperature on speed. 

Table-II shows that the mean values of the strength endurance of morning, afternoon and evening are 25.87, 26.20 and 30.07 respectively.  The obtained F ratio of 4.80 is higher than the table value of 3.22 required for significant at 0.05 level of confidence. The results of the study indicate that there a significant difference between the mean of morning, afternoon and evening environmental temperature on strength endurance. To determine which of the mean had a significant difference, Scheffe’s test was applied as a pot-hoc test and the results are presented in table-III.

Table – III

Scheffe’s Test for the Difference between the Mean of Environmental Temperature of Morning, Afternoon and Evening on Strength Endurance

Mean			Mean Difference	Confidence Interval (C.I)
Morning	Afternoon	Evening
25.87	26.20		0.33	3.82
25.87		30.07	4.2*
	26.20	30.07	3.87*

       * Significant,   p £ 0.05

Table-III shows the mean difference in strength endurance between morning and evening and afternoon and evening are 4.2 and 3.87 respectively. These values are higher than the required confidence interval value 3.82, which shows significant difference at the 0.05 level of confidence. However the mean difference in strength endurance between morning and afternoon is 0.33. This value is lesser than the confidence interval value of 3.82, which shows there was no significant difference at 0.05 levels.

Two types of human beings may be distinguished by the pattern of their temperature fluctuations during a day: the early risers and the late risers.  The early risers have a relatively high blood in the morning and are barbarically cheerful before breakfast.  The larger groups are those who have difficulty in getting up in the morning and have unfriendly dispositions, at least until after the first cup of tea.  Their body temperature is low in the morning but high at night.  Then they are wide awake while the early risers are tired and sleepy (Kleiber, 1961). In this study we can see the speed and strength endurance at different times in a day such as morning @ 24.7^o (6am), afternoon @ 34.1^o (1pm) and evening @ 27.3^o (5.45pm) respectively. The result shows that evening is the best time to test the strength endurance and there was no specific time to test speed among morning, afternoon and evening of young boy students. The mean values of speed and strength endurance of different atmospheric temperature such as morning, afternoon and evening are graphically presented in figures 1and 2.

Figure 1: The mean values of Speed at different temperatures in a day such as morning 6 am (24.7^o), afternoon 1 pm (34.1^o) and evening 5.45 pm (27.3^o).

Figure 2: The mean values of Strength Endurance at different temperatures in a day such as morning 6 am (24.7^o), afternoon 1 pm (34.1^o) and evening 5.45 pm (27.3^o).

Conclusion

The variables such as speed and strength endurance were taken at different temperature variations in a day such as morning 6 am (24.7^o), afternoon 1 pm (34.1^o) and evening 5.45 pm (27.3^o) respectively. The result of the study concluded that there was a significant difference between the strength endurance of morning and evening and afternoon and evening atmospheric temperature. However there was no significant difference between morning and afternoon atmospheric temperature. So that from the result we can say evening is the best time to measure strength endurance performance.  The results also concluded that there was no significant difference in speed among morning, afternoon and evening atmospheric temperature of young boys’ students.

References

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