Comparative analysis of endurance of not hearing and hearing students

Study aim: Sport participation is important for deaf children, as participants experience physical, psychological and social benefits [23]. This study is a summary of four year’s researches on the endurance level of deaf and well hearing girls and boys. The aim of this study was to compare endurance of not hearing and hearing students.

Material and methods: 300 students aged 12, 14 and 16 from six Warsaw’s schools participated in the study. Students were divided into 12 groups according to three criterions: hearing impairment level, gender and age. The physical fitness was measured with laboratory methods. There was „inclined plane” measurement set used to estimate the endurance level. From the biomechanical point of view the measure of endurance is change of power versus time and total work.

Results: The study result’s proved significant differences only between boy’s group. Deaf and hearing girls presented similar level of their endurance parameters. The significant differences in results of deaf and well-hearing students were observed in the groups of 14 years old boys. Deaf male students presented 23% lower (p < 0.01) values of maximal power in comparison to their hearing peers. Yet, they were more capable of sustaining the power developed for a longer time, which is proved by significantly higher (33%; p < 0.001) regression coefficient b. Since maximal power level was lower, the executed work was also significantly lower comparing to well-hearing students’ results.

Conclusion: Research proved that deaf students do not vary from their well-hearing peers with regard to the energetic potential. Differences described in the literature and recorded in our research are probably the result of environmental (social) factors and different models of gaining movement habits.