ABSTRACT
This study investigated the structural and functional adaptations following a 12 – week differential rope skipping training programme, among female undergraduates in the University of Benin, Benin City. Specifically, the structural and functional variables of interest in this study includes body weight, fat mass, percentage body fat, blood pressures (systolic and diastolic), heart rate, muscle mass, bone mass and body water mass
The pretest-posttest experimental research design was adopted for this study. The population of this study was made up of 6,688 female undergraduates in the University of Benin, Benin City of Edo State, Nigeria. The sample for this study was made up of sixty (60) female undergraduates. Multi stage sampling procedure was used in the selection of participants. Eight research questions were raised as a guide to this study and eight corresponding hypotheses were formulated and tested. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while the hypotheses were tested with the inferential statistics of Analysis of variance. The alpha level was set at 0.05.
The result obtained showed that there were significant adaptations in the body blood pressures, heart rates, bone mass and body water mass, but no significant adaptations were observed in the areas of body weight, fat mass, percentage body fat and muscle mass. It was therefore concluded that rope skipping training programme induces positive adaptations on some structural and functional parameters of the human body. Rope skipping training can specifically stimulate adaptations in blood pressures (systolic and diastolic), heart rate, bone mass and body water mass of female undergraduates, following a 12 - week rope skipping training programme. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that physical educators, coaches, physiotherapist, students, researchers, government and stake holders in sports policy formulation should integrate the use of rope skipping training in the maintenance and development of structural and functional fitness among female undergraduates.
