EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL FITNESS COMPONENTS AND COURSE-RELATED STAMINA OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

This study investigated the relationship between physical fitness components and course-related stamina among college students at Zamboanga Del Sur Provincial Government College, Pagadian City, during the academic year 2025–2026. It examined how cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition relate to students’ perceived ability to sustain academic demands such as attending classes, studying, completing requirements, and preparing for examinations. A quantitative research design was used, employing survey questionnaires and standardized fitness assessments for data collection. Findings revealed that students exhibited a generally high level of perceived course-related stamina, with an overall grand mean of 8.54. Among the programs, Bachelor of Science in Biology obtained the highest overall stamina mean (M = 8.64), followed by Bachelor of Physical Education (M = 8.56) and Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (M = 8.42). Across stamina dimensions, determination recorded the highest overall mean (M = 8.73), while resilience obtained the lowest (M = 8.37), though still interpreted as high. Notably, BSBio respondents achieved a very high determination score (M = 9.03). Principal Component Analysis produced two components explaining 100% of the variance, with PC1 accounting for 57.6% (eigenvalue = 4.6073) and PC2 accounting for 42.4% (eigenvalue = 3.3927). PC1 reflected a psychological stamina dimension with strong positive loadings for emotional control (0.411) and resilience (0.392), and a negative loading for normalized physical fitness (−0.442), indicating an inverse relationship. PC2 represented performance integration, where confidence (0.532), determination (0.453), and focus (0.377) showed positive associations with physical fitness. Overall, students demonstrated high stamina levels and generally comparable fitness profiles, with psychological attributes strongly influencing perceived academic stamina.