Abstract :
Gender variations exist in relation to physical fitness (PF), with more percentage of the findings in accordance with the cultural perspective that men are more fit than their female counterparts. This study is aimed at further validating the outcomes of previous studies on gender variations of PF using selected health related PF components. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 (192 males and 208 females) undergraduate students of the University of Nigeria Enugu campus; within 18-35 years. Hand grip strength [HGS], lean body mass [LBM], body mass index [BMI], percentage body fat [%BF], waist-height ratio [WHtR] and spinal flexibility [SF] were measured and examined using descriptive and inferential statistics. There is a statistical significant difference in the average HGS between males and females with males having a greater hand grip strength (72.84±22.64) than the females (42.26±18.59). Females were more flexible than males (though not statistically significant) with a mean SF of 8.53±2.82 while males had a mean of 8.15±3.26. Females had a higher mean WHtR and %BF. There exists a statistical significant difference in mean LBM between males (56.51±5.51) and females (46.03±4.96), with males having a higher LBM than females. Males and Females exhibit differences in selected heath related components of PF. Males appear to have higher fitness levels when compared with their female counterparts.
