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Physical activity during youth sports practices
Desiree Leek1, Jordan A Carlson, Kelli L Cain
1School of Medicine, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, CA, USA.
Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
|December 8, 2010
Summary
Youth sports practices, including soccer and baseball, often fall short of recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Strategies are needed to increase moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) during organized youth sports to improve health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric sports medicine
- Exercise physiology
- Public health
Background:
- Organized youth sports are popular but may not consistently meet physical activity (PA) recommendations.
- Understanding PA levels during practices is crucial for optimizing health benefits in young athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify physical activity (PA) levels during organized youth soccer and baseball/softball practices.
- To determine the proportion of participants meeting moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines during practices.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 200 youth (ages 7-14) from community sports leagues.
- Accelerometers were used to measure PA during practices.
- Participants were classified based on meeting the guideline of at least 60 minutes of MVPA during practice.
Main Results:
- Overall mean MVPA was 45.1 minutes (46.1% of practice time).
- Soccer players, boys, and younger children (7-10 years) accumulated significantly more MVPA.
- Only 24% of participants met the 60-minute MVPA guideline, with lower adherence in older girls and softball players.
Conclusions:
- Organized youth sports participation does not guarantee adherence to PA recommendations.
- Policies should be implemented to enhance PA levels during youth sports practices for improved health benefits.
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