Are intensified physical education sessions able to elicit heart rate at a sufficient level to promote aerobic fitness in adolescents?

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of intensified physical education sessions on adolescents ages 11-16 years. They were divided into two experimental groups-high-intensity running group (HIRG) and high-intensity jumping group (HIJG)-and a control group(C). During the sessions, heart rate (HR) was monitored. There was no significant difference between mean HR for HIRG and HIJG, while the mean HR was significantly lower for C (p < .001). For both HIRG and HIJG, the mean HR was significantly higher for girls than for boys (p <. 001). Our results suggested that these intensified physical education lessons require a high percentage of maximal HR in adolescents and can be used to improve aerobic fitness.