The Effects of a 12-Week Structured Running Programme on the Body Composition and Functional Abilities of Physiotherapy Students

Background/Objectives: Insufficient physical activity among university students is a significant public health concern associated with unfavorable changes in body composition and reduced cardiorespiratory fitness. This study examined whether participation in a 12-week structured running programme was associated with changes in body composition and selected components of health-related physical fitness in physiotherapy students compared with an inactive control group. Methods: A total of 64 physiotherapy students participated in this quasi-experimental study and self-selected into an experimental (n = 22) or control group (n = 42). The experimental group participated in a 12-week structured running programme comprising two supervised running sessions (Monday and Friday) and one brisk walking session (Wednesday) per week. Although brisk walking was incorporated as one weekly aerobic training session, running represented the principal training modality throughout the intervention, whereas the control group did not participate in organized physical activity. Body composition, estimated maximal oxygen uptake (estimated VO2max), forward-reach flexibility, and standing long jump performance were assessed before and after the intervention. The primary analysis was performed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with post-intervention values as dependent variables, study group as the fixed factor, and baseline values together with sex included as covariates. Statistical significance was interpreted after adjustment for multiple comparisons using the Holm procedure. Results: After adjustment for baseline values and sex, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvements than the control group in body mass (p < 0.001), body fat percentage (p < 0.001), visceral fat rating (p = 0.002), body mass index (p < 0.001), total body water (p = 0.047), estimated VO2max (p = 0.019), and forward-reach flexibility (p = 0.002). No statistically significant between-group difference was observed for standing long jump performance (p = 0.124). The largest adjusted effect sizes were observed for body mass index and body fat percentage. Conclusions: Participation in a 12-week structured running programme was associated with more favorable changes in body composition, estimated cardiorespiratory fitness, total body water, and forward-reach flexibility compared with the control group. These findings suggest that structured running programmes may warrant further evaluation as a potential university-based health-promotion approach.