Physical inactivity is common in overweight individuals. The objective of this study was to identify the acute effect of body weight increase on the performance of sitting and rising actions from the ground, and to verify the influence of some morphologic and functional variables on these movements. Initially (E1), 33 soldiers, aged 20 ± 1.4 years (mean ± sd) and with similar values of BMI (22 ± 1.0 kg/m2) and BF% (5.3 ± 2.3), were randomly divided into three groups of 11 subjects. The Sitting-Rising Test (SRT) was applied in a latin square order without artificial increment in the weight (A0), and with 10% (A10), and 20% of increment (A20), simulated by the use of sand vests placed in the trunk. In the second study (E2), 24 pubescent and post-pubescent soccer players (15.4 ± 1.1 years), randomly divided into four groups of six and with similar general flexibility, measured by the Flexitest, were submitted to SRT as in E1, but also in the condition of 30% increment in body weight (A30). Between individuals who maintained the maximal score in each action with the increase in weight and the others, general and specific movement flexibilities were compared in E1, and BMI, S 7 skinfolds, BF%, waist-hip and waist-thigh and superior to inferior skinfolds ratios, Heath-Carter somatotype, leg muscle power (vertical jump), and 50 m sprint time, in E2. In sitting, Friedman test did not identify differences among the conditions in both E1 (p = .21) and E2 (p = .07). But for rising they occurred in both studies (p < .001 and p = .03). Tukey test showed that only a 20% weight increment was sufficient to deteriorate the performance in E1 (p < .05), and 30% in E2 (p < .05). In E1, it was verified that individuals who maintained maximal score for sitting were more flexible in hip adduction (p < .001), and those for rising in hip flexion (p = .02). In E2, no significant differences were found in the variables. Likely, obese and overweight individuals face more difficulties in the activities accomplished against gravity force, as rising. Those findings and the influence of flexibility should be corroborated in future studies using this population.
Sitting-Rising Test; Overweight; Obesity; Flexibility; Morphological and functional variables; Functional evaluation
