Body Composition and Physical Fitness of Students in High School vs. Students Enrolled in High School Sports Academia Programs

In recent years more and more high schools in Iceland are offering sports academia programs. These programs are intended for teenage athletes in various sports who have the potential of becoming elite athletes. The sports academia programs make it easier for these student athletes to focus on training for their sport while attending high school, and thereby, enable them to get a good education and enhance their athletic potential. These programs also have the potential to reduce drop-out in sports because it is easier for the students to balance athletics and academics. Nevertheless, sports performance is not necessarily linked to better health. The purpose of this study was to compare students enrolled in regular high school tracks to students enrolled in sports academia programs on body composition and physical fitness