Effect of Sports Club Activities on the Physique and Physical Fitness of Young Japanese Males

This study compared the growth and development of the physique and physical fitness of young Japanese males who belong to sports clubs and those who did not based on longitudinal data obtained over four years. Physique and physical fitness tests were administered to 253 healthy male technical college students four times from the 9 to 12 grade. Subjects were divided into two groups: those who did not belong to an extra-curricular sports club (control group: CG, n = 126), and those who belonged to sports clubs (exercise group: EG, n = 127). Sit-ups, side-stepping, 20 m shuttle run, 50 m run and handball throwing tests and a total score were superior in the EG compared to the CG. Differences between the two groups in body mass, Rohrer's index, six physical fitness tests (except for a handgrip and 50 m run), and the total score increased with grade. The CG was inferior in overall physical fitness to the EG, especially in whole body endurance. It is highly possible that sports club activities significantly and positively affect the growth and development young males during the growth period under 19-years-old and that inactivity inhibits the development of whole body endurance.