title: Compensation for Adolescents' School Mental Load by Physical Activity on Weekend Days.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Increasing mental load and inadequate stress management significantly affect the efficiency, success and safety of the educational/working process in adolescents. The objective of this study is to determine the extent that adolescents compensate for their school mental load by physical activity (PA) on weekend days and, thus, to contribute to the objective measurement of mental load in natural working conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2013 and April 2014. A set of different methods was employed-self-administered questionnaire (IPAQ-long questionnaire), objective measurements-pedometers, and accelerometers (ActiTrainers). They was distributed to 548 students from 17 high schools. Participants' mental load was assessed based on the difference between PA intensity and/or physical inactivity and heart rate range.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The participants with the highest mental load during school lessons do not compensate for this load by PA on weekend days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents need to be encouraged to be aware of their subjective mental load and to intentionally compensate for this load by PA on weekend days. It is necessary to support the process of adopting habits by sufficient physical literacy of students, as well as teachers, and by changes in the school program.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc 77111, Czech Republic. michal.kudlacek@upol.cz.|Department of Leisure Studies, Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc 77111, Czech Republic. michal.kudlacek@upol.cz.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudláček
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc 77111, Czech Republic. karel.fromel@upol.cz.
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Frömel
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Culture, Institute of Active Lifestyle, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc 77111, Czech Republic. lukas.jakubec@upol.cz.
authors.forename: Lukáš
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jakubec
authors.affiliation: The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice 40-065, Poland. d.groffik@awf.katowice.pl.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Groffik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018153:Czech Republic; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D012574:Schools; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: accelerometer; health education; heart rate; mental health; monitoring; physical literacy