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Effects of programmed physical activity on body composition in post-pubertal schoolchildren
Edson Dos Santos Farias1, Ezequiel Moreira Gonçalves2, André Moreno Morcillo3
1Department of Pediatrics, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Rondônia (UNIR), Pioneiro, RO, Brazil.
Objective:
To assess body composition modifications in post-pubertal schoolchildren after practice of a physical activity program during one school year.
Methods:
The sample consisted of 386 students aged between 15 and 17 years and divided into two groups: the study group (SG) comprised 195 students and the control group (CG), 191. The SG was submitted to a physical activity program and the CG attended conventional physical education classes. Body composition was assessed using body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat (%BF), fat mass (FM), and lean mass (LM).
Results:
A positive effect of the physical activity program on body composition in the SG (p<0.001) was observed, as well as on the interaction time x group in all the variables analyzed in both genders. A reduction in %BF (mean of differences = -5.58%) and waist circumference (-2.33 cm), as well as an increase in LM (+2.05 kg) were observed in the SG for both genders, whereas the opposite was observed in the CG.
Conclusion:
The practice of programmed physical activity promotes significant reduction of body fat in post-pubertal schoolchildren.
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