Abstract:

The main aim of this study is to compare the physical fitness levels of individuals who regularly engage in sports over specific years with those who have never engaged in sports (sedentary individuals) in terms of right-left side asymmetry. The study was conducted with participants selected using purposive sampling method from male and female athletes attending secondary education. The participants of the research consisted of 52 males and 38 females aged between 15 and 17. Thirty of the participants were volleyball players (18 females, 12 males), 30 were football players (25 males, 5 females), and 30 were sedentary individuals (15 males, 15 females). To measure physical fitness levels, four fundamental tests were applied, including the Flexibility measurement developed by Winnick and Short (2014), the Health Ball Throw test developed by Stark (2000), the 3-Step Jump measurement developed by Moll, Seidel, and Bös (2012), and the Simple Visual Reaction test. The data were analyzed using the SPSS 25 package program, and mixed-model ANOVA was used for the statistical analysis of the data. When examining the results, it is evident that participation in football and volleyball sports enhances physical fitness levels. Individuals in the sports groups generally outperformed the sedentary group. In the evaluation of right and left side asymmetry of the body, it was determined that the dominant hand and foot had more strength than the non-dominant hand and foot.

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