The relationship between caloric expenditure and exam scores of North Carolina State University students in health/fitness physical education classes.

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to identify the relationship between average weekly caloric expenditure via exercise during a three-month period and final written exam scores of college students in health/fitness physical education classes at North Carolina State University. Participants were 166 male and female college students between the ages of 18 and 43 years. Co-variables in the study were gender, age, race, grade point average (GPA), cardiovascular fitness level, year in school, class instructor, body mass index (BMI), percent body fat, grading option (GDO), and the interaction effects of (GDO x GPA), (GDO x BMI), (GDO x kcalavg), and (kcalavg x kcalavg).

Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted on the data from the study in phase I (full model), phase II (reduced model), and phase III (separate regression model). No predictions were made using the models because the major focus of the statistical analysis was upon identification of explanatory variables rather than prediction. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results indicated a significant (p less than .05) relationship between exercise and final exam scores of male and female participants when gender-separated data sets were analyzed in the phase II model. Results from the phase I model also showed a significant (p less than .05) relationship between exercise and final exam scores for male participants. Statistical analyses in phase I and phase II for all participants combined indicated a significant (p less than .0001) relationship between class instructor and final written exam scores. Results from analyses for all participants combined (phases I, II, & III) showed that physical fitness level and final written exam scores were significantly (p less than .01) related.

Male participants, on average, burned slightly more than 4,300 kcals via exercise per week, while females averaged an expenditure of 2,835 kcals per week. No conclusions could be drawn from the data that support an optimal level of caloric expenditure in relation to final written exam scores.