Changes in college students’ physical fitness pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic

This study specifically evaluated physical fitness trends among college students in Jiangxi province from 2018 to 2020, amid the emergence and influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cohort of 20,202 students (5622 boys and 14,580 girls) from a Jiangxi-based university underwent standardized physical fitness testing. Differences across years were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis H and Wilcoxon Signed-rank tests, with stratification by sex and body composition. The overall fitness scores increased significantly during the study period. However, cardiorespiratory endurance declined markedly in both genders (boys' 1000 m: +25.4 seconds; girls' 800 m: +21.5 seconds). Concurrently, the overweight prevalence among boys increased progressively (2018:11.9%; 2019:13.8%; 2020:14.4%), while upper-body strength remained critically low (pull-ups: ~5). Contrastingly, 2020 saw improvements in vital capacity, standing long jump, and sit-and-reach across both genders, and in boys' 50-m dash performance (-0.08 seconds). The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impaired cardiorespiratory endurance despite overall fitness gains. Future interventions should prioritize the development of indoor-compatible endurance training protocols for restricted environments.