Interaction between exercise type, physical activity level, and cardiovascular condition in adolescents

Introduction: the development of effective exercise interventions for adolescents requires an understanding of how different exercise modalities interact with individual characteristics, such as baseline physical activity levels. Objectives: this study aimed at analysing the interaction effect between exercise types (Dance-based lulo and Anak Indonesia Hebat Dance) and physical activity level (high vs. low) on the improvement of cardiovascular fitness in junior high school adolescents. Methodology: an 8-week and 2x2 factorial experimental design were employed, utilizing cluster random sampling to assign 80 junior high school students (aged 13-15) into four intervention groups: 1) lulo exercise with high physical activity (A1B1), 2) lulo exercise with low physical activity (A1B2), 3) standardized calisthenics with high physical activity (A2B1), and 4) standardized calisthenics with low physical activity (A2B2). Cardiovascular fitness, measured by maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂max), was assessed using the Balke test pre- and post-intervention. Data were analysed using two-way factorial ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test. Results: the analysis revealed a statistically significant interaction between exercise type and physical activity level on cardiovascular fitness (F=12.45, p