Health fitness training responses of normotensive and elevated normotensive children

Abstract The purpose of this study was to compare health fitness profiles of normotensive (blood pressure < 108/76) and elevated normotensive (blood pressure ≥ 108/76) children and to evaluate the health fitness training responses of children with higher and lower blood pressures to a regular program of exercise over an eight month period. The subjects were 386 fourth grade students (lower blood pressures = 305; higher blood pressures = 81). They were measured for height and weight and evaluated before and after an exercise intervention program for flexibility, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and body fat levels. The results show that children with higher blood pressures were fatter and had lower cardiovascular fitness levels before and after the intervention. They had health fitness profiles similar to hypertensive adults. Their rate of health fitness improvement, with training, was similar to children with lower blood pressures. Therefore, elevated normotensive children have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease but can change their risk profile with regular exercise.