The Effect of Creative Gymnastics on The Cardiorespiratory Endurance of Sport Science Students at State University of Medan in 2026

Abstract

Cardiorespiratory endurance is a major component of physical fitness and is important for Sport Science students because it supports sustained physical activity. This study aimed to examine changes in students’ cardiorespiratory endurance after participation in a creative gymnastics program. A quantitative one-group pretest–posttest design was employed with 30 male Sport Science students from the 2025 cohort at Universitas Negeri Medan, selected through random sampling. Cardiorespiratory endurance was assessed using the Multistage Fitness Test (MFT), with shuttle level and estimated VO₂max as indicators. The intervention comprised 16 sessions delivered three times per week. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Mean shuttle level increased from 6.15 ± 1.12 at pretest to 6.84 ± 1.13 at posttest, while mean estimated VO₂max increased from 37.12 ± 4.01 to 39.60 ± 4.08 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹. Based on the displayed means, the increase was 2.48 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹, equivalent to approximately 6.68%. All participants showed an increase in estimated VO₂max. The Wilcoxon test indicated a statistically significant pretest–posttest difference (p < .001), with an effect size of r = .87. These findings indicate an improvement within the participating group following the program; however, the absence of a control group prevents definitive causal conclusions.