Physical Fitness and Health in Adolescents

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Orthopedics & Sports Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 1346

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Research Group on Physical and Health Literacy and Health-Related Quality of Life (PHYQOL), Faculty of Sport Science, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: health; children; chronic disease; physical condition; physical literacy; obesity; well-being
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adolescence represents a crucial stage in human development, marked by rapid physical, emotional, and social changes. In this context, physical fitness emerges not only as a key indicator of current health status, but also as a powerful predictor of future health outcomes. The alarming increase in sedentary lifestyles, obesity rates, and mental health disorders among adolescents underscores the urgent need to examine and promote physical fitness from a comprehensive, evidence-based perspective.

This Special Issue of Children seeks to bring together cutting-edge research focused on physical fitness and its interrelation with adolescent health. Contributions from diverse disciplines, such as kinesiology, sports science, public health, psychology, and pedagogy, will be welcomed. This Special Issue aims to explore the different components of physical fitness—including cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, body composition—and their associations with physical, mental, and social well-being.

Key topics will include the development of reliable assessment tools, longitudinal studies that track fitness changes and their health implications, and interventions designed to improve fitness levels in various settings (schools, communities, clinical environments). Special attention will be given to socio-environmental factors that facilitate or hinder active lifestyles, as well as to gender and socioeconomic disparities in access to physical activity opportunities.

We also encourage submissions that examine innovative approaches to promoting adolescent fitness, such as the use of digital technologies, school-based physical education reforms, and community health initiatives. Furthermore, papers investigating the bidirectional relationships between fitness and psychological variables, such as motivation, self-esteem, and resilience, will be highly valued.

We invite researchers, educators, clinicians, and policymakers to contribute papers to this Special Issue that will lead to a healthier and more active youth.

Dr. María Mendoza Muñoz
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • physical fitness
  • adolescent health
  • cardiorespiratory endurance
  • muscular strength
  • physical activity promotion
  • mental well-being
  • exercise interventions
  • public health
  • school-based programmes.

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 692 KB  
Article
High-Intensity Physical Activity During Late Adolescence Predicts Young Adult CT-Based Finite Element Bone Strength in Emerging Adulthood: Iowa Bone Development Study
by Soyang Kwon, Kathleen F. Janz, Indranil Guha, Alex V. Rowlands, Oscar Rysavy, Punam K. Saha, Chandler Pendleton, Euisung D. Shin and Steven M. Levy
Children 2025, 12(9), 1204; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12091204 - 9 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Objective: This study investigated associations between physical activity (PA) during late adolescence and emerging adulthood and bone strength in emerging adulthood by utilizing advanced finite element analysis of computed tomography (CT/FEA) technology beyond the traditional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method. Methods: This study [...] Read more.
Objective: This study investigated associations between physical activity (PA) during late adolescence and emerging adulthood and bone strength in emerging adulthood by utilizing advanced finite element analysis of computed tomography (CT/FEA) technology beyond the traditional dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method. Methods: This study included 266 participants (152 females) from the Iowa Bone Development Study. PA volume (average acceleration) and intensity (intensity gradient) metrics were calculated from ActiGraph accelerometer data collected at ages 17, 19, 21, and 23 years. Compressive modulus and compressive stiffness of the tibia were estimated at age 23 via CT/FEA of the tibia. Sex-specific linear regression models were used to evaluate associations between PA metrics and bone outcomes, adjusting for age, height, weight, musculoskeletal fitness, and calcium intake. Results: Intensity gradient averaged over 17–23 years of age was positively associated with compressive stiffness at age 23 years in both females and males (p < 0.01). Intensity gradient was positively associated with compressive modulus in females (p < 0.01), but not in males. No significant associations were found between average acceleration and either compressive stiffness or modulus in either sex (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Using a state-of-the-art CT/FEA method, this study suggests that high-intensity PA during late adolescence and emerging adulthood improves bone strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Fitness and Health in Adolescents)
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14 pages, 549 KB  
Article
Impact of a Strength Training Program on Physical Performance in U10 Soccer Players: A Quasi-Experimental Trial
by Adrián Torregrosa-Domínguez, Iván Moreno-Camacho, Eduardo José Fernández-Ozcorta and Rafael Ramos-Véliz
Children 2025, 12(9), 1200; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12091200 - 8 Sep 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: The integration of strength training in grassroots youth soccer remains limited, often due to persistent myths regarding its safety and utility. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a tailored, playful strength training program in young players and analyzed the influence of the [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The integration of strength training in grassroots youth soccer remains limited, often due to persistent myths regarding its safety and utility. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a tailored, playful strength training program in young players and analyzed the influence of the Relative Age Effect (RAE) on physical development and training response. Methods: A 14-week quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was conducted with 27 federated male soccer players aged 9–10 years (experimental: n = 15; control: n = 12). The intervention consisted of twice-weekly, game-based strength training sessions integrated into the regular team routine. Outcomes included validated anthropometric (BMI) and functional (handgrip strength, standing long jump, Illinois agility test) indicators. RAE was analyzed according to birth quartile. Non-parametric statistical analyses and effect size (r) calculations were used. Results: The experimental group achieved significantly greater pre–post gains in handgrip strength than controls (right and left). Agility and standing long jump improved within the experimental group, but between-group differences were not significant. BMI decreased within the experimental group, yet the net between-group difference in BMI change was not significant in the context of a higher baseline BMI (p = 0.047). Although the Relative Age Effect (RAE) influenced baseline BMI, no moderating effect was detected on performance variables or training-induced changes in this sample. Conclusions: In U10 soccer players, a playful, context-integrated strength program produced superior gains in handgrip strength compared with usual practice. Improvements in agility and standing long jump were observed within the intervention group, but did not exceed those of the controls. BMI changes were not different between the groups and must be interpreted with caution, given baseline imbalances. In this sample, RAE did not moderate training response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Fitness and Health in Adolescents)
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13 pages, 657 KB  
Article
Physical Fitness, Experiential Avoidance, and Psychological Inflexibility Among Adolescents: Results from the EHDLA Study
by Maria Mendoza-Muñoz, José Francisco López-Gil, Damián Pereira-Payo and Raquel Pastor-Cisneros
Children 2025, 12(8), 1032; https://doi.org/10.3390/children12081032 - 6 Aug 2025
Viewed by 403
Abstract
Background/Introduction: Psychological inflexibility, which includes experiential avoidance, is a transdiagnostic process associated with multiple mental health issues in adolescence. Physical fitness (PF) has shown benefits for mental well-being, yet its specific relationship with psychological inflexibility remains understudied, particularly among youth. Objectives: To examine [...] Read more.
Background/Introduction: Psychological inflexibility, which includes experiential avoidance, is a transdiagnostic process associated with multiple mental health issues in adolescence. Physical fitness (PF) has shown benefits for mental well-being, yet its specific relationship with psychological inflexibility remains understudied, particularly among youth. Objectives: To examine the association between components of PF and psychological inflexibility, measured by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), in a representative sample of Spanish adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from 631 adolescents (aged 12–17) participating in the Eating Healthy and Daily Life Activities (EHDLA) study. PF was assessed by the Assessing the Levels of PHysical Activity and Fitness (ALPHA-Fit) Test Battery (cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, agility, and flexibility). Psychological inflexibility was measured using the AAQ-II. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to evaluate associations, adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, socioeconomic status, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep duration, and energy intake. Results: Unadjusted analyses showed weak but significant associations between psychological inflexibility and performance in the 20 m shuttle run test (p = 0.002), the 4 × 10 shuttle run test (p = 0.005), and the sit-and-reach test (p < 0.001). However, after adjusting for covariates, none of the PF components maintained a statistically significant association with the AAQ-II scores. Conclusions: In this adolescent sample, PF components were not independently associated with psychological inflexibility after adjustment for key confounders. These findings suggest that, while PF may contribute to general well-being, it is not a primary determinant of psychological inflexibility. Further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms linking physical and psychological health in youth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Fitness and Health in Adolescents)
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