Background/Objectives: conducting fitness tests in educational settings can lead to advantages for both individuals and groups, beyond just enhancing fitness. With the aim of appropriately interpreting performance, this study was conducted to establish sex- and age-specific percentile normative data for a physical fitness (PF) protocol and to define a compound measure of physical performance. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a short, feasible, and easy-to-administer test battery was performed for 5106 school children, aged 6–10 years. Gender- and age-specific percentiles for the PF tests were constructed, and a Physical Fitness–Motor Competence Performance Index (PF-MC PI) was calculated according to the percentiles. Results: Boys scored higher in all the PF tests when compared to girls (p < 0.001). There was also a trend towards increased PF levels as the age increased in both genders (p < 0.0001). Correlations between scores on individual test items were moderate to high (r from 0.549 to 0.700), and all individual test item scores significantly correlated with the PF-MC PI (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: the provided percentile values will enable the correct interpretation and monitoring of the fitness status of children and the PF-MC PI can be used for easily rating children’s health-related fitness qualities.
Purpose: During alternate movements across a joint, the changeover from one direction of rotation to the opposite may be influenced by the delay and rate of tension reduction and the compliance to re-lengthening of the previously active muscle group. Given the aging process may affect the above-mentioned factors, this work aimed to compare the dynamics of both the ankle torque decline and muscle re-lengthening, mirrored by mechanomyogram (MMG), in the tibialis anterior because of its important role in gait. Methods: During the relaxation phase, after a supramaximal 35 Hz stimulation applied at the superficial motor point, in 20 young (Y) and 20 old (O) subjects, the torque (T) and MMG dynamics characteristics were measured. Results: The T and MMG analysis provided: (I) the beginning of the decay after cessation of stimulation (T: 22.51 ± 5.92 ms [Y] and 51.35 ± 15.21 ms [O]; MMG: 27.38 ± 6.93 ms [Y] and 61.41 ± 18.42 ms [O]); (II) the maximum rate of reduction (T: − 110.4 ± 45.56 Nm/s [Y] and − 52.72 ± 32.12 Nm/s [O]; MMG: − 24.47 ± 10.95 mm/s [Y] and − 13.76 ± 6.54 mm/s [O]); (III) the muscle compliance, measuring the MMG reduction of every 10% reduction of torque (bin 20–10%: 15.69 ± 7.5[Y] and 10.8 ± 3.3 [O]; bin 10–0%: 22.12 ± 10.3 [Y] and 17.58 ± 5.6 [O]). Conclusion: Muscle relaxation results are different in Y and O and can be monitored by a non-invasive method measuring physiological variables of torque and re-lengthening dynamics at the end of the electromechanical coupling previously induced by the neuromuscular stimulation.