Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
06:51
Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
The EPICure study: maximal exercise and physical activity in school children born extremely preterm
Liam Welsh1, Jane Kirkby, Sooky Lum
1Portex Unit: Respiratory Medicine and Physiology, UCL, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
Thorax
|December 10, 2009
Summary
Children born extremely preterm (EP) show reduced exercise capacity and altered breathing patterns during peak exercise. These findings in EP survivors are linked to long-term pulmonary impacts, not physical activity levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pulmonology
- Exercise physiology
- Neonatal follow-up
Background:
- Children born extremely preterm (EP) face risks for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and pulmonary sequelae.
- Limited evidence exists on exercise capacity and physical activity in EP survivors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare maximal exercise ventilation and physical activity at age 11 between EP children and full-term controls.
- To investigate the long-term pulmonary effects of EP birth on cardiorespiratory fitness.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated lung function (spirometry, plethysmography, gas transfer) and peak exercise capacity (cycle ergometer).
- Monitored physical activity using accelerometry for 7 days.
- Compared 38 EP children (71% with prior BPD) to 38 full-term controls.
Main Results:
- EP children exhibited significantly reduced lung function (FEV(1), gas transfer) and increased lung volumes (RV, RV/TLC).
- Peak oxygen consumption was significantly lower in EP children, with altered breathing patterns (higher frequency, lower tidal volume) during exercise.
- No significant differences in physical activity levels were found between EP and control groups.
Conclusions:
- Reduced peak oxygen consumption and altered exercise ventilation in EP children are likely due to long-term pathophysiological effects of preterm birth.
- Physical activity levels do not explain the observed differences in exercise capacity in this cohort.
