Abstract

Sustaiined participation in physical activity results in specific physical adaptations in the human body. These adaptations depend primarily on the application of certain training principles such as the type of activity, duration and frequency of the training sessions, as well was the length of the period of conditioning. When the training principles are not properly quantified and qualified, research reports dealing with the effect of physical training should be carefully interpreted. Various reports investigating the quantification and qualification of the training principles were examined and minimum criteria for significant changes in certain physical, physiological, biochemical and psychological parameters were postulated. It was clear that a very close interaction exists between some of these training principles (intensity, duration and frequency). In order to evaluate the training impact more objectively, an evaluation index (the physical activity index) is proposed which integrates the impact of the above-mentioned training principles. Verf.-Referat