Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness with Achievement Motivation in Physical Education in Adolescents

• Main Authors: Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez, Javier Lamoneda, Francisco Javier Huertas-Delgado
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: physical fitness; competence; music; youth; sex; shuttle run test
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/5/2317

Cardiorespiratory fitness is an important health marker in adolescents. Thus, examining the relation between cardiorespiratory fitness and motivation should be important to increase health-related behaviors. This study aimed to describe adolescents’ cardiorespiratory fitness and motivation by gender and to analyze the association between two cardiorespiratory fitness tests (original and with music) and motivation. A total of 341 adolescents (14.2 ± 1.5 years, 52.2% girls) participated in this study. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the 20 m shuttle run and its adaptation with music. Motivation was assessed though the “Achievement Motivation towards Physical Education” questionnaire. Boys presented with higher cardiorespiratory fitness and motivation (all, <i>p </i><<i> </i>0.05). Yet, when classifying fit and unfit groups, a higher percentage of girls were considered fit compared to boys (85.8% vs. 74.5%). A higher level of cardiorespiratory fitness (stages) and VO₂max were associated with a higher level of motivation (self-perceived competence and compared competence) and lower anxiety (all <i>p</i><i> </i><<i> </i>0.05). These associations with motivation were stronger when the music was present in the test. In this sense, including music in activities focused on cardiorespiratory fitness could increase the cardiorespiratory fitness performance and motivation, especially in girls. It should be important to increase adolescents’ cardiorespiratory fitness levels in order to increase motivation in physical education lessons and to include more motivational activities in order to achieve higher performance.