Start Date
19-6-2025 12:00 PM
End Date
19-6-2025 1:00 PM
Abstract
Introduction Understanding the physical fitness of adults with intellectual disabilities participating in Special Olympics (SO) is essential for promoting health and optimizing athletic performance. Previous studies have identified low physical fitness outcomes among SO athletes (Temple et al., 2022), but sport-specific differences have not been examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how physical fitness levels differed across sports among adult SO athletes.
Methodology Data were collected from 561 athletes (ages 18–60) who completed Healthy Athletes FunFitness screenings at the 2022 USA Summer Games. Two-by-two ANOVAs were conducted for each fitness measure with fixed effects of sport and gender. Athlete age was a covariate. Fitness measures included grip strength (dominant hand, kg), partial sit-ups (repetitions), push-ups (repetitions), sit-to-stand test (repetitions), and two-minute step test (steps).
Results Significant main effects of sport were identified on all physical fitness measures, with varying effect sizes: grip strength (p = .037, ηp² = .038), partial sit-ups (p < .001, ηp² = .072), push-ups (p < .001, ηp² = .089), sit-to-stand test (p = .005, ηp² = .047), and two-minute step test (p = .014, ηp² = .042). Gender effects also influenced grip strength (p < .001, ηp² = .121) and push-ups (p = .017, ηp² = .013), but there was no significant sport-by-gender interactions.
Conclusions These findings highlight the differences in fitness levels of SO athletes across sport participation. Tailored training programs and targeted health promotion emphasizing physical fitness could optimize health and performance among SO athletes.
References Temple, V. A., Rintala, P., Zeitz, S., Lloyd, M., & Foley, J. T. (2022). Age and sex-based differences in functional strength of adults participating in Special Olympics. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, 15, 5. doi: 10.5507/euj.2021.009
Recommended Citation
Lee, Hanna H.; Loetzner, Franziska; and Pitchford, Andrew, "Physical Fitness Levels of Adult Special Olympics Athletes Across Sports" (2025). International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity and International Symposium on Physical Activity and Visual Impairment and Deafblindness. 41.
https://sword.cit.ie/isapa/2025/day4/41
Physical Fitness Levels of Adult Special Olympics Athletes Across Sports
Introduction Understanding the physical fitness of adults with intellectual disabilities participating in Special Olympics (SO) is essential for promoting health and optimizing athletic performance. Previous studies have identified low physical fitness outcomes among SO athletes (Temple et al., 2022), but sport-specific differences have not been examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how physical fitness levels differed across sports among adult SO athletes.
Methodology Data were collected from 561 athletes (ages 18–60) who completed Healthy Athletes FunFitness screenings at the 2022 USA Summer Games. Two-by-two ANOVAs were conducted for each fitness measure with fixed effects of sport and gender. Athlete age was a covariate. Fitness measures included grip strength (dominant hand, kg), partial sit-ups (repetitions), push-ups (repetitions), sit-to-stand test (repetitions), and two-minute step test (steps).
Results Significant main effects of sport were identified on all physical fitness measures, with varying effect sizes: grip strength (p = .037, ηp² = .038), partial sit-ups (p < .001, ηp² = .072), push-ups (p < .001, ηp² = .089), sit-to-stand test (p = .005, ηp² = .047), and two-minute step test (p = .014, ηp² = .042). Gender effects also influenced grip strength (p < .001, ηp² = .121) and push-ups (p = .017, ηp² = .013), but there was no significant sport-by-gender interactions.
Conclusions These findings highlight the differences in fitness levels of SO athletes across sport participation. Tailored training programs and targeted health promotion emphasizing physical fitness could optimize health and performance among SO athletes.
References Temple, V. A., Rintala, P., Zeitz, S., Lloyd, M., & Foley, J. T. (2022). Age and sex-based differences in functional strength of adults participating in Special Olympics. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, 15, 5. doi: 10.5507/euj.2021.009
