The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the body structure and physical fitness of Finnish (n=26), Hungarian (n=42) and American (n=55) adolescents (N=123). Height, weight, skinfolds, body fat percentages, circumferences and widths were recorded to define the somatotypological characteristics and growth type of subjects. To define adolescents’ healthrelated fitness the Eurofit Fitness Test Battery was used. Differences between the ethnic groups in terms of body composition and motoric performance were analyzed with ANOVA. The prevalence of overweight was 9.3 % among Hungarians, 23.07% among Finns and 38.2 % among Americans. PLX is lower (F=10.941, P=0.002) in the Hungarian group compared to the Finnish adolescents. Finnish adolescents have higher VO2max in both sexes (34.98±4.08; 41.03±4.06 ml/kg/min) despite the fact that they have higher body fat than Hungarians. Comparison between the different ethnic groups suggests that adolescents need higher amount and intensity of training to achieve the proper physical activity level.
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