Background:
The Fitness Index, a measure of cardiac and muscular system strength, may vary among individuals with different blood groups due to genetic or immunological factors influencing disease susceptibility and overall health, prompting this study to investigate these potential correlations.
Aim:
To find out any association between ABO & Rh blood groups and fitness index of healthy individuals.
Methods:
The study involved healthy individuals over 18 years old without known cardiac conditions, who underwent a two-step exercise on a wooden staircase at a rate of 30 steps per minute for five minutes. The recovery pulse rate was measured at intervals after the exercise, and this data was used to calculate the Fitness Index using the formula. The Fitness Index was then categorized as "poor" if less than 50, "average" if between 50 and 80, and "good" if more than 80. The study included 165 cases over a span of six months, and the data was analyzed using single way ANOVA.
Results:
The study of 165 participants found no significant association between Fitness Index and blood group (p=0.493). Highest Fitness Index was found in the AB+ blood group with a mean of 71.29. However, a significant association was found between Fitness Index and gender, with females showing a higher Fitness Index than males (p=0.018).
Conclusion:
The study concluded that while the highest Fitness Index was found in the AB+ blood group, the O+ blood group showed better reliability and accuracy for association with the Fitness Index due to a larger sample size. However, no significant association was found between an individual's blood group and Fitness Index (p=0.493). A strong association was found between gender and Fitness Index (p=0.018), with females showing a higher Fitness Index than males, possibly due to better BMI, physical activity, diet, and lifestyle. Further studies are needed to confirm this association.
Key words: Fitness index, Blood group, Gender, Physical activity, Cardiac Reserve, Strenuous exercise.
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