Physical activity (PA)
is associated with decreased risk for diseases such as CVD, Diabetes, Cancer,
anxiety and depression, and can result in improvements in cognitive function
and bone health in children (Jannsen & LeBlanc, 2010: International Journal
of Behavioural Nutrition & Physical Activity, 7:40). Physical Education
(PE) represents an opportunity to impact the health of every child in Ireland
through regular and structured PA. Purpose:
To establish the energy expenditure and time spent in Moderate to Vigorous
Physical Activity (MVPA) by adolescents, during a standardised PE Class in an
Irish post-primary level school. Methodology:
126 adolescents from four Irish post-primary schools participated in a
standardised PE class scheduled for 40 minutes. Participants wore a
SenseWearPro2 Armband to enable measurement of energy expenditure and physical
activity. Data are displayed as Mean ± s. Results:
Participants were physically active for 31 ± 1 minutes of the scheduled PE
class time, accumulating 30 ± 1 minutes of MVPA and expending 1033 ± 228 J.
Discussion: A high proportion of class time (75 %) is spent in MVPA. However,
this only equates to 50% of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO, 2010: Global
recommendations on physical activity for health) recommended daily requirements
for this population. Conclusion: PE contributes significantly to daily PA
requirements of 12-15 year olds, however, adolescents must partake in PA outside
of class or increase time dedicated to PE to achieve levels needed for
maintaining health.