Effects of a 12-week-long program of vigorous-intensity physical activity on the body composition of 10-and 11-year-old children

Abstract

The purpose was to study the effects of a program of vigorous-intensity physical activity (PA) on the body composition of children. This investigation involved 108 school children from 10 to 11 years old (60 males 10.47 ± 0.50 yr, and 48 females 10.67 ± 0.48 yr). The variables measured were: body weight, fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), total body water (TBW), basal metabolic rate (BMR), body mass index (BMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI) and fat mass index (FMI). The design was experimental with two groups, experimental group EG (vigorous-intensity PA) and control group CG. Males of EG achieved higher improvements than CG in all the variables, apart from body weight, BMI and FFMI. Females of EG achieved more improvements than CG, especially in FFM(%), FM(kg), FM(%), FMI(kg/m2) and TBW(%). The program of vigorous-intensity PA used is effective in improving the body composition of 10-and 11-year-old children.