Influence of extracurricular sport activities on body composition and physical fitness in boys: a 3-year longitudinal study

Abstract

Objective: To analyse the effect of extracurricular physical activities on fat mass accumulation and physical fitness during growth in early pubertal males. Design: Longitudinal study. Subjects: A total of 42 male children (9.471.4 years, Tanner I-II and 12.771.5 years, Tanner III-IV, before and after the 3.3 years follow-up, respectively), randomly sampled from the population of Gran Canaria (Spain), 26 of them physically active (PA, at least 3 h per week during 3 years) and 16 non-physically active (non-PA). Measurements: Body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), anthropometrics (body circumferences and skinfolds) and physical fitness variables (dynamic and isometric force, anaerobic capacity and maximal aerobic power) were determined in all subjects. Results: Both groups had comparable body sizes at the start and the end of the study. Body mass index increased with growth more in the PA than in the non-PA group (Po0.05). However, fat mass accumulation with growth was lower in the PA than in the non-PA (Po0.05). There was a positive relationship between the increment of total and trunkal fat mass, especially in nonactive children (r 2 ¼ 0.93). In contrast, there was an inverse relationship between the total lean mass growth and the accumulation of total and regional fat mass (r ¼ À0.37 to À0.41, all Po0.05). Physical fitness was maintained in the PA, while it worsened in the non-PA children. Conclusions: Without any dietary intervention, children who regularly participate in at least 3 h per week of sports activities are more protected against total and regional fat mass accumulation. They also increase their total lean and bone mass to a greater extent than children who do not participate in extracurricular sport activities. In addition, PA children maintain their physical fitness during growth, while it deteriorates in the non-PA children.

Association of objectively assessed physical activity with total and central body fat in Spanish adolescents; The HELENA Study

“…43 Furthermore, those children who regularly participated in sports activities at least 3 h per week during 3 years were more protected against total and regional, especially central fat mass accumulation. 44 It is important to consider when interpreting the findings from this study that because of the study design (crosssectional) it is not possible to infer a causal relationship between PA and body fatness. Although we controlled for several potential confounders we cannot be certain that other unmeasured confounders such as dietary intake and genetic variation, have not influenced our observations.…”

Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence: a powerful marker of health

“…27 Longitudinal data have shown a significant relationship between adolescent cardiorespiratory fitness and later body fatness. 28,29 Physical fitness and abdominal adiposity. Abdominal obesity seems to be a better predictor than overall obesity for the risk of CVD and type II diabetes, as well as being a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality in adults, independently of body mass index.…”

Determinación del Porcentaje de Masa Grasa, según Mediciones de Perímetros Corporales, Peso y Talla: Un Estudio de Validación

“…La sumatoria de los pliegues cutáneos de bíceps, tríceps, subescapular, ilíaco y abdominal (∑5, en la Tabla II), es significativamente mayor en las mujeres (p < 0.05) , respecto a los hombres (108,5 mm y 81,4 mm respectivamente), tal como lo informa Malina et al (2004) y similar a lo observado por Moreno et al (2006) y Hoyo & Sañudo, en población española. Ara et al (2006), señalan que la masa grasa total aumenta por acumulación de ella, en todas las regiones, pero especialmente a nivel del tronco en los sujetos menos activos.…”