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Correlates of individual differences in body-composition changes resulting from physical training in obese children
P Barbeau1, B Gutin, M Litaker
1Georgia Prevention Institute, Department of Pediatrics, and the Office of Biostatistics, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912-3710, USA. pbarbeau@mail.mcg.edu
Insights
Physical training improved body composition in obese children. Factors like activity, diet, and sex influenced changes, with 25% of body fat variance explained by these elements.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric obesity research
- Exercise physiology in children
- Body composition analysis
Background:
- Limited research exists on factors influencing body composition changes in children undergoing physical training.
- Understanding these correlates is crucial for optimizing interventions for pediatric obesity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if variations in diet and physical activity predict changes in body composition among obese children during a physical training program.
- To identify key correlates of inter-individual variability in response to exercise interventions.
Main Methods:
- 71 obese children (7-11 years) participated in a 4-month physical training program.
- Body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
- Dietary intake and physical activity levels were recorded via 7-day recall interviews.
Main Results:
- Significant decreases in body fat percentage and increases in lean mass and bone density were observed.
- Higher attendance, male sex, lower energy intake, and more vigorous activity correlated with favorable body composition changes.
- Ethnicity did not emerge as a significant correlate for body composition changes.
Conclusions:
- In obese children, physical training leads to positive body composition shifts.
- Age, vigorous physical activity, diet, and baseline body fat percentage collectively explained 25% of the variance in body fat changes.
- These findings highlight modifiable factors that can enhance exercise intervention effectiveness in pediatric obesity.
Background:
No studies have been reported in children that assess correlates of body-composition changes in response to a physical training intervention.
Objective:
The hypothesis studied was that variation in diet and physical activity would explain a significant portion of the interindividual variation in the response of body composition to physical training.
Design:
The participants were 71 obese children aged 7-11 y (22 boys, 49 girls; 31 whites, 40 blacks). Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, physical activity by a 7-d recall interview, and diet by two, 2-d recalls. The children underwent 4 mo of physical training.
Results:
The mean attendance was 4 d/wk, the mean (+/-SD) heart rate for the 40-min sessions was 157 +/- 7 beats/min, and the mean energy expenditure was 946 +/- 201 kJ/session. On average, the percentage body fat decreased significantly in the total group, and total mass, fat-free soft tissue, bone mineral content, and bone mineral density increased, but there was a good deal of individual variability. Multiple regression models indicated that in general, more frequent attendance, being a boy, lower energy intake, and more vigorous activity were associated with healthier body-composition changes with physical training. Ethnicity was not retained as a correlate of the change of any component of body composition.
Conclusions:
In obese children, age, vigorous activity, diet, and baseline percentage body fat together accounted for 25% of the variance in the change in percentage body fat with physical training.