Effects of blended learning on physical fitness and basketball skills of male college students: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Background: University represents a critical period for the cultivation of health behaviors, self-efficacy, and psychosocial development. It affects how well students do in their studies, their day-to-day life, and where they're headed in the future. However, in recent years, the physical fitness levels of Chinese university students have declined. This study investigated, through a 12-week intervention, whether a blended learning method could improve the physical fitness and basketball skills of male university students in China. Methods: < 0.05. Results: = 0.597). Notably, the experimental group showed a greater reduction in BMI (d = -0.54) and greater improvement in 50-meter sprint times (d = -0.30) compared to the control group. In basketball skills, the experimental group surpassed the control group with large effect sizes for both the set shot (d = 1.63) and half-court dribbling and shooting (d = 1.55). Conclusion: The 12-week blended learning approach enhanced the overall physical fitness of university students. Furthermore, this approach was highly effective in promoting the development of basketball skills. However, the approach showed limited effects on BMI and sprint outcomes, suggesting that blended learning may require enhanced explosive training components to address these fitness dimensions.