Justification of hiking distance as a kind of test within the All-Russian physical education and sports training program “Ready for labour and defence” for girls

Aim. The paper aims to provide rationale for a hiking distance of 15 km to be included into the All-Russian physical education and sports training program “Ready for Labour and Defense” among teenagers (6th level). Materials and methods. Students (n = 15) aged from 18 to 21 years participated in the study. The following physiological methods were used: heart rate monitoring, blood pressure and cardiac output measurements, ECG recording and interpretation according to the method of A. Zavyalov, mental state assessment with the Well-being, activity, mood (WAM) questionnaire. Results. Female participants of the hiking trip demonstrated significant changes in the functional status in terms of the indicators studied during the distance of 9, 12 and 15 km (ECG - 18 ± 1,51, the WAM indicator - 5.2 at the beginning and 4.1 at the end of the trip, heart rate - 100 BPM, cardiac output increased from 5418 to 5640 ml). Conclusion. Analysis of the main indicators of the functional status during the hiking trip allows us to conclude that a distance of 15 km is optimal for girls. However, variable conditions are possible for girls in terms of distance reduction to 12 km. Final recommendations require additional research.