Physical Fitness of Schoolgirls With Turner Syndrome

The aim of the study was to assess physical fitness of girls with Turner syndrome (TS) and to determine the relative contributions of age, body height, and body mass to performance in fitness tests. Girls with TS aged 10-18 years (n = 184), and age- and stature-matched healthy controls (n = 280) were studied with the use of the EUROFIT test battery. Girls with TS were significantly inferior to the control group in maintaining balance, standing broad jump, sit-ups, shuttle run, and endurance shuttle run (p < .001). No significant differences were found for plate tapping, but girls with TS were superior to their healthy mates (p < .001) in handgrip, sit-and-reach, and bent-arm hang. Unlike controls, body height in girls with TS had significant effects on handgrip strength (positive) and on plate tapping speed (negative), other contributions being relatively similar in both groups. It thus seems that the somatic specificity of girls with TS explains most differences in motor fitness. The identified motor deficiencies of girls with TS call for undertaking steps toward attracting those girls to motor activities.