ABSTRACT. Objective: To assess aerobic fitness in male and female adolescents using the multistage -metre shuttle run test and correlate it with selected fitness variables. Method: The subjects comprised  girls and  boys aged – years, randomly selected from two segregated government schools in Muscat. After the pupils filled in a short questionnaire on their personal leisure time activities of the preceding week, their heights and weights were measured. Aerobic fitness was assessed by estimating each pupil’s minimal oxygen uptake levels (VO2max) using the multistage -metre shuttle running test (-MST). Results: Boys spent more time than girls on leisure physical activities, television, computer and video games and the Internet. The estimated VO2max in both boys and girls showed high correlation with their weekly physical activities. The time spent on television and computer negatively correlated with VO2max in girls but not in boys. Girls had higher body mass index (BMI) and less VOmax compared to boys; BMI showed a negative correlation with VOmax in girls but not in boys. Conclusion: Aerobic fitness in this sample was higher in boys than in girls and was strongly influenced by weekly physical activities in both genders. The -MST has proved a simple and inexpensive field test for aerobic fitness that could be implemented on a wide scale. Key words: shuttle run test, aerobic fitness, leisure time activities, VO2max, adolescent, Oman

ABSTRACT. Objective: To assess aerobic fitness in male and female adolescents using the multistage -metre shuttle run test and correlate it with selected fitness variables. Method: The subjects comprised  girls and  boys aged – years, randomly selected from two segregated government scho...