Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence and digital tools on physical fitness, health, and physiological outcomes in physical education
Paper Details
Exploring the impact of artificial intelligence and digital tools on physical fitness, health, and physiological outcomes in physical education
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies are increasingly being integrated into Physical Education (PE) to enhance physical fitness, promote healthy behaviors, and support physiological monitoring. However, evidence regarding their combined effects on physical fitness, physiological responses, health behaviors, and students’ learning experiences in higher education remains limited, particularly in the Philippine context. This study investigated the effects of AI and digital tools on these outcomes among Physical Education students. A mixed-methods, one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design was employed involving 15 purposively selected undergraduate Physical Education students from Cebu Technological University–Moalboal Campus, Philippines. Quantitative data were obtained through physical fitness assessments, physiological measurements, and health behavior evaluation before and after a technology-supported intervention, while qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Following the intervention, improvements were observed in cardiorespiratory endurance (72.40 to 78.67), muscular endurance (28.53 to 34.27), flexibility (28.80 to 32.47), and physical activity performance (71.33 to 81.20). Resting heart rate decreased from 78.60 to 73.87 beats/min, exercise heart rate decreased from 154.20 to 148.13 beats/min, recovery time improved from 5.20 to 4.10 min, and exercise intensity increased from 64.33% to 71.20%. Exercise frequency, daily physical activity, health awareness, fitness goal monitoring, and exercise motivation also increased after the intervention. Qualitative findings revealed enhanced physiological awareness, personalized feedback, improved self-monitoring, and increased motivation, although participants identified concerns regarding device accuracy, accessibility, and privacy. These findings indicate that AI-assisted digital technologies can effectively complement Physical Education by supporting fitness development, physiological self-monitoring, and health-promoting behaviors while providing more engaging and personalized learning experiences. Future studies using larger samples and controlled designs are recommended to strengthen the evidence for AI-supported Physical Education.
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Copyright © 2026 by the Authors. This article is an open access article and distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license.