Physical fitness of Tibetan adolescents at different high altitudes in Tibet, China: A comparative study

OBJECTIVE: High altitude hypoxic environment has a certain negative impact on physical fitness of adolescents. We aimed to understand the physical fitness status of Tibetan adolescents in different high-altitude areas in Tibet, China. METHODS: Physical fitness items, such as grip strength, standing long jump, sit and reach, 50 m dash, 1000 m run for boys, and 800 m run for girls were tested on 3806 Tibetan adolescents by using stratified whole group sampling method in class units. The mean age of the participants was (15.51 ± 1.69) years for Tibetan males and (15.54 ± 1.69) years for females. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and other methods were used to make cross-sectional comparisons of physical fitness performance of Chinese Tibetan adolescents in different high-altitude regions. RESULTS: The standing long jump scores of boys (203.37 ± 28.36) were higher than that of girls (152.97 ± 19.46) and the lowest standing long jump scores of adolescents in Shigatse region (166.39 ± 35.04). The highest level of sit and reach was found among boys (10.69 ± 5.34) in Nyingchi and the lowest level of sit and reach was found among girls (8.42 ± 5.84) in Shigatse. Shigatse region adolescents had the lowest performance in 50 m dash (9.09 ± 1.72) while the best performance in 1000 m run (266.23 ± 35.82) and 800 m run (245.40 ± 27.92). CONCLUSION: There is variability in the physical fitness of Tibetan adolescents in different high-altitude regions of Tibet, China. Targeted physical fitness interventions should be carried out for Tibetan adolescents in different high-altitude regions. The focus should be on improving the endurance quality of Tibetan adolescents in Lhasa and the lower limb muscle strength, flexibility, and speed quality of adolescents in Shigatse.