The effectiveness of a high-intensity games intervention on improving indices of health in young children |
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| Authors: | Danielle Lambrick Nicole Westrupp Sebastian Kaufmann Lee Stoner James Faulkner |
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| Institution: | 1. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK;2. Respiratory Unit, Starship Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand;3. Faculty of Philosophy II, Julius Maximilians University, Würzburg, Germany;4. School of Sport &5. Exercise, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand;6. Department of Sport &7. Exercise, University of Winchester, Winchester, UK |
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| Abstract: | This study assessed the effectiveness of a 6-week, high-intensity, games-based intervention on physiological and anthropometric indices of health, in normal weight (n = 26; 32.5 ± 8.9 kg) and obese (n = 29; 49.3 ± 8.9 kg) children (n = 32 boys, 23 girls), aged 8–10 years. Children were randomised into an exercise or control group. The exercise group participated in a twice-weekly, 40 min active games intervention, alongside their usual school physical education classes. The control group did not take part in the intervention. Before and after the intervention, participants completed both a maximal and submaximal graded exercise test. The submaximal exercise test comprised of a 6 min, moderate- and 6 min heavy-intensity bout, interspersed with a 5 min recovery. The exercise group demonstrated improvements in maximal oxygen uptake (51.4 ± 8.5 vs 54.3 ± 9.6 ml · kg?1 · min?1) and peak running speed (11.3 ± 1.6 vs 11.9 ± 1.6 km · h?1), and a reduction in the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise between assessments (P < .05). A decrease in waist circumference and increase in muscle mass were observed between assessments for the obese participants randomised to the intervention (both P < .05). This study demonstrates that a short-term, high-intensity games intervention may elicit positive changes in physiological and anthropometric indices of health in normal weight and obese children. |
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