Differences in Cardiorespiratory Fitness between Chinese and Japanese Children and Adolescents

Xiaofang Yang; Xiaojian Yin; Liu Ji; Ge Song; Huipan Wu; Yuqiang Li; Guodong Wang; Cunjian Bi; Yi Sun; Ming Li; Ting Zhang; Hiroshi Kato; Akira Suzuki

doi:10.3390/ijerph16132316

Differences in Cardiorespiratory Fitness between Chinese and Japanese Children and Adolescents

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jun 30;16(13):2316. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16132316.

Authors

Xiaofang Yang^{1

2}, Xiaojian Yin^{3

4}, Liu Ji^{1

2}, Ge Song^{1

2}, Huipan Wu^{1

2}, Yuqiang Li^{1

2}, Guodong Wang^{1

2}, Cunjian Bi^{1

2}, Yi Sun^{1

2}, Ming Li^{1

2}, Ting Zhang^{1

2}, Hiroshi Kato⁵, Akira Suzuki⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
² School of Physical Education & Health Care, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Adolescent Health Assessment and Exercise Intervention of Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China. xjyin1965@163.com.
⁴ College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China. xjyin1965@163.com.
⁵ Department of Education, Wakayama University, Wakayama-city 640-8510, Japan.
⁶ Department of Sports Science, Daito Bunka University, Tokyo 355-8501, Japan.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to compare the difference in cardiorespiratory fitness between Chinese and Japanese children and adolescents.

Methods: Participants comprised 9025 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years from China and Japan. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) was measured by performance in the 20 m shuttle run test (20mSRT) and estimated maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max). Differences in CRF between countries were evaluated by t-tests. Centile curves for the 20mSRT and VO_2max values were constructed for Chinese and Japanese children and adolescents, respectively, using the Lambda Mu and Sigma (LMS) method.

Results: (1) For most of the age groups, the 20mSRT and VO_2max performances among Chinese participants were lower than among Japanese participants. (2) Japanese children had the most apparent gains in P₁₀, P₅₀, and P₉₀ VO_2max values in primary school; however, they gradually decreased in middle school. For Chinese girls, the P₁₀, P₅₀, and P₉₀ VO_2max values decreased gradually with age. (3) The VO_2max value among Japanese children increased; however, it decreased or remained flat among Chinese children in primary school.

Conclusions: CRF among Chinese participants was lower than among Japanese participants while the VO_2max value showed different trends in primary school. Effective measures should be taken to improve CRF among children and adolescents.

Keywords: 20mSRT; China and Japan; cardiorespiratory fitness; children and adolescents; socioeconomic status.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Asian People
Cardiorespiratory Fitness*
Child
China
Exercise Test
Female
Humans
Japan
Male
Oxygen Consumption*
Physical Fitness*