Way of life as a determinant of physical fitness

Four hundred and five urbanites and 302 communal agricultural settlement (Kibbutz) members participated in a study which examined their physical fitness. The subjects were divided into three subgroups according to age: 18-21 years, 22-30 years, and 31-40 years. No differences were found among the two populations in all three subgroups as concerns anthropometric data. In the youngest age group no differences in resting heart rate and {Mathematical expression}O₂ max between urbanites and kibbutz dwellers were found. For those aged over 21 years the {Mathematical expression}O₂ max (40.8±10.0 ml O₂/kg body weight/min for those aged 22-30 years and 38.7±9.7 ml O₂/kg body weight/min for those aged 31-40 years) was significantly higher (p<0.001) than that of the urbanites (35.6±7.0 for age 22-30 and 33.1±8.0 ml O₂/kg body weight/min for age 31-40 years). The results confirm the notion that physical fitness is a good profile of habitual activity.