The Effect of Sports Activities on Changes in Vo2max and the Difference in Recovery Period Between Trained and Untrained Student Groups

A sedentary lifestyle among university students can negatively affect cardiovascular health, as reflected by low VO?Max values and prolonged recovery periods. This study aimed to examine the impact of sports activities on changes in VO?Max and the differences in recovery time between trained and untrained students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Muhammadiyah North Sumatra. Using an experimental pre-post test design, 32 students were divided into trained (n=16) and untrained (n=16) groups based on their participation in the university’s Sports Student Activity Unit. VO?Max and recovery times were measured before and after a Six-Minute Walking Test (6MWT). Data were analyzed using paired and unpaired t-tests. Results showed significant improvements in VO?Max in both groups (trained: p=0.002; untrained: p<0.001) and significant differences in post-exercise VO?Max between groups (p=0.005). Recovery times also significantly differed (trained: 85.94 ± 8.14 vs. untrained: 96.81 ± 12.03; p=0.005). These findings highlight the positive physiological effects of regular exercise on cardiovascular endurance and recovery capacity. The study implies that integrating structured sports programs into academic institutions could enhance students' overall health and physical fitness, particularly in cognitively demanding environments like medical faculties. Future research should explore long-term training modalities, such as HIIT or moderate-intensity training, and their sustained impacts on VO?Max and physiological recovery across diverse student populations.