None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
During the last fifty years, lifestyles changed from being physically active to being predominantly sedentary and inactive. Today, the majority of girls and a large proportion of boys fail to meet the minimum target of 60 minutes of at least moderate intensity physical activity (PA) per day. Furthermore, PA declines as children get older. Recently we have shown in children with Prader-Willi-Syndrome (PWS), as well as in healthy junior ice hockey players, that individually targeted strength training induces increased spontaneous PA outside of training. The main objective of this randomised controlled intervention study was to assess whether participation in a structured individualised strength training programme 2 hours per week would increase spontaneous daily PA outside of training in normal school children. We could show that a targeted strength training programme during regular school PE lessons increases the daily amount of spontaneous PA behaviour in children before puberty and that the strength training programme was most efficient for the children with the lowest PA at the beginning. The declining physical activity among children could be reversed if more specifically targeted PE classes, for example including strength training, were to become an integral part of physical education.
Interventions
randomized controlled study
54 school children (age 10.14-14.11) in Switzerland were randomly assigned to participate twice weekly at a guided strength training programme for 19 weeks. Spontaneous physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE; 3-axial accelerometry for 7 days), leg and arm strength and body composition (DEXA) were measured at baseline, after 19 weeks of training intervention and after three months of wash out. The intervention consisted of an individualised maximum strength train
randomized controlled study 54 school children (age 10.14-14.11) in Switzerland were randomly assigned to participate twice weekly at a guided strength training programme for 19 weeks. Spontaneous physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE; 3-axial accelerometry for 7 days), leg and arm strength and body composition (DEXA) were measured at baseline, after 19 weeks of training intervention and after three months of wash out. The intervention consisted of an individualised maximum strength training programme for the whole body. Seven basic multiple-joint exercises were performed as a circuit in groups of two: Leg press, lunges with short dumb-bell, low back on back-bank or on mat, waist diagonal on mat, rowing exercise with short dumb-bell, bench-press with long dumb-bell, over-head-press with long/short dumb-bell. After the children were introduced to their exercise programme and had mastered the proper technique, the training loads were individually adapted (muscle fatigue) once per week to optimise strength and power gains. The training took place during two of the three regular 45 minuts PE classes over a period of 19 weeks, with group size of 18 children administered by two exercise physiologists. To monitor adherence, all pupils had to protocol all exercises (time under load, repetitions, weigth).
Sponsors
Prof. Dr. med. Urs Eiholzer
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
9 Years to 15 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
healthy schoolchildren
Exclusion criteria
Children with a BMI above or below '+/-' 2.5 SDS or on stimulant medication such as methylphenidate participated in the normal PE classes and were involved in the measurements, but were excluded from analysis.
Outcome results
None listed