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An Increase in School-Based Physical Education Increases Muscle Strength in Children.

Löfgren, Bjarne LU ; Daly, Robin M ; Nilsson, Jan-Åke LU ; Dencker, Magnus LU and Karlsson, Magnus LU (2013) In Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 45(5). p.997-1003
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Children and adolescents are encouraged to maintain a habitually active lifestyle because of the known health benefits associated with regular physical activity, but there are some reports that a high level of activity may be associated with increased fracture risk. This prospective controlled exercise intervention study in pre-pubertal children evaluated if a school-based exercise intervention could enhance growth related gains in muscle strength and muscular function without affecting fracture risk. METHODS: Fractures were registered in 417 girls and 500 boys aged 7-9 years in the intervention and in 836 age-matched girls and 872 boys. The intervention included 40 minutes/day of school physical education for two years... (More)
INTRODUCTION: Children and adolescents are encouraged to maintain a habitually active lifestyle because of the known health benefits associated with regular physical activity, but there are some reports that a high level of activity may be associated with increased fracture risk. This prospective controlled exercise intervention study in pre-pubertal children evaluated if a school-based exercise intervention could enhance growth related gains in muscle strength and muscular function without affecting fracture risk. METHODS: Fractures were registered in 417 girls and 500 boys aged 7-9 years in the intervention and in 836 age-matched girls and 872 boys. The intervention included 40 minutes/day of school physical education for two years whereas the controls achieved 60 minutes/week. In a subsample consisting of 49 girls and 80 boys in the intervention and 50 girls and 53 boys in the control group, body composition was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), muscle strength by isokinetic Peak Torque (PT) of the knee extensors and flexors at 60 and 180 °/seconds by a computerized dynamometer and neuromuscular performance by Vertical Jump Height (VJH). RESULTS: The rate ratio [RR (95% confidence interval)] for children in the intervention group to sustain a fracture was 1.07 (0.66, 1.68). The annual gain in knee extensor PT at 180°/seconds was significantly higher for both girls (p<0.001) and boys (p<0.01) in the intervention compared to the control group. Boys in the intervention group also had a greater annual gain in knee flexion PT at 180 °/seconds (p<0.001) and girls a greater gain in VJH (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An increase in school-based physical education from 60 to 200 min/week enhanced muscle strength in pre-pubertal children without affecting fracture risk. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
volume
45
issue
5
pages
997 - 1003
publisher
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
external identifiers
  • wos:000317847000024
  • pmid:23190596
  • scopus:84876712136
  • pmid:23190596
ISSN
1530-0315
DOI
10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827c0889
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dddd8e21-9b6f-456f-be78-a7355953daaf (old id 3218402)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23190596?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:27:59
date last changed
2024-06-02 17:23:19
@article{dddd8e21-9b6f-456f-be78-a7355953daaf,
  abstract     = {{INTRODUCTION: Children and adolescents are encouraged to maintain a habitually active lifestyle because of the known health benefits associated with regular physical activity, but there are some reports that a high level of activity may be associated with increased fracture risk. This prospective controlled exercise intervention study in pre-pubertal children evaluated if a school-based exercise intervention could enhance growth related gains in muscle strength and muscular function without affecting fracture risk. METHODS: Fractures were registered in 417 girls and 500 boys aged 7-9 years in the intervention and in 836 age-matched girls and 872 boys. The intervention included 40 minutes/day of school physical education for two years whereas the controls achieved 60 minutes/week. In a subsample consisting of 49 girls and 80 boys in the intervention and 50 girls and 53 boys in the control group, body composition was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), muscle strength by isokinetic Peak Torque (PT) of the knee extensors and flexors at 60 and 180 °/seconds by a computerized dynamometer and neuromuscular performance by Vertical Jump Height (VJH). RESULTS: The rate ratio [RR (95% confidence interval)] for children in the intervention group to sustain a fracture was 1.07 (0.66, 1.68). The annual gain in knee extensor PT at 180°/seconds was significantly higher for both girls (p&lt;0.001) and boys (p&lt;0.01) in the intervention compared to the control group. Boys in the intervention group also had a greater annual gain in knee flexion PT at 180 °/seconds (p&lt;0.001) and girls a greater gain in VJH (p&lt;0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An increase in school-based physical education from 60 to 200 min/week enhanced muscle strength in pre-pubertal children without affecting fracture risk.}},
  author       = {{Löfgren, Bjarne and Daly, Robin M and Nilsson, Jan-Åke and Dencker, Magnus and Karlsson, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{1530-0315}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{997--1003}},
  publisher    = {{Lippincott Williams & Wilkins}},
  series       = {{Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise}},
  title        = {{An Increase in School-Based Physical Education Increases Muscle Strength in Children.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827c0889}},
  doi          = {{10.1249/MSS.0b013e31827c0889}},
  volume       = {{45}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}