Reports of “illness” albeit mild after a physical education lesson at the San Francesco school in Biella. “On Monday morning we were called from the school because our children had felt ill following a physical education lesson – explains the father of a girl -. At home I asked what had happened and my daughter explained that, after a particularly intense exercise, the whole class felt symptoms more or less intense but the same for everyone, such as nausea, sore throat, cough, headache. This version was then confirmed in the class chat. It is not clear whether the malaise was caused by the excessive intensity of the exercise or by the possible presence in the gym of toxic volatile substances ».
The exercise referred to is none other than the Cooper test: a test that has been used for years from middle school onwards to substantially test endurance abilities to aerobic effort. After an adequate muscle warm-up, to carry out the test it is necessary to run for 12 minutes at the end of which the distance covered by the boy is measured. Based on it, gender and age, an evaluation is assigned which shows the level of athletic preparation.
On the issue of illness, the head teacher Monica Pisu intervenes: «We heard about these problems and we immediately informed the families, but there is nothing to worry about. Going to listen to the boys, many admitted to having exaggerated in taking the test, probably running beyond their abilities. It is a test that has been used for decades and obviously must be carried out according to your own feelings. Having said that, the boys are all fine and we exclude any presence of toxic substances in the gym ».