Young teenage boys are significantly fitter than their female peers, the initial results of the 2013 Schools Fitness Challenge have shown.

The challenge is aimed at first and second year students in secondary schools nationwide. Launched in January by Aviva Health Insurance, 227 schools - or almost 15,000 students - signed up.

All participants had to undergo a bleep test, which is a simple test that can provide valuable information about the fitness of an individual. It involves continually running between two lines that are 20 metres apart in time to recorded bleeps.

The running speed is increased at one minute intervals and the participant must attempt to run between the lines as many times as possible in time with the bleeps.

All of the students completed a bleep test in January and since last month, they have been taking part in a six-week training programme aimed at improving their fitness levels. At the end of the six weeks, they will undergo the bleep test again to see if they are any fitter.

According to the initial results of the bleep test held in January, school-going children in Cavan are some of the fittest in the country, followed by students in Tipperary, Kerry and Donegal.

However, the results also showed that boys were 44% fitter than girls. According to challenge advocate, Dr Sarah Kelly, this was ‘an unexpected finding'.

"We expected fitness levels to be similar in boys and girls of this age. Hopefully the gap will narrow between boys and girls and both groups will improve after six weeks of training," Dr Kelly commented.

She noted that while Irish children are above the European average, ‘the fitness levels of European children are extremely low'.

"We need to develop age and gender appropriate norms for Irish children," Dr Kelly added.

The full results and winners of the challenge will be announced in April.