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Performance on Functional Strength Measurement and Muscle Power Sprint Test confirm poor anaerobic capacity in
Wendy F M Aertssen1, Gillian D Ferguson2, Bouwien C M Smits-Engelsman2
1Avansplus, University for Professionals, Breda, The Netherlands.
Insights
Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) show poorer anaerobic capacity and functional strength compared to typically developing peers. These differences are more significant in older children, particularly in tasks involving rapid movements.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Motor development research
- Child kinesiology
Background:
- Limited and conflicting data exist regarding anaerobic performance and functional strength in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
- Understanding these deficits is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine anaerobic capacity and functional strength in children with a clinical diagnosis of DCD (clin-DCD).
- To compare differences between younger (4-6 years) and older (7-10 years) children with clin-DCD.
- To determine the prevalence of clin-DCD children scoring below the 15th percentile on the Functional Strength Measurement (FSM).
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving a clin-DCD group and a typically developing (TD) group.
- Participants were assessed using the Muscle Power Sprint Test (MPST) and the Functional Strength Measurement (FSM).
- Age-related differences were analyzed within the clin-DCD cohort.
Main Results:
- Children with clin-DCD demonstrated inferior performance on both MPST and FSM, with notable deficits in muscle endurance.
- Performance disparities between clin-DCD and TD children were amplified in older children, particularly for muscle endurance and overall FSM scores.
- More than 50% of children in the clin-DCD group scored below the 15th percentile on the FSM.
Conclusions:
- The functional strength and anaerobic capacity deficits in children with clin-DCD are more pronounced in older age groups.
- These differences are especially evident in tasks demanding fast, repetitive movements, highlighting a critical area for intervention.
Background:
There is little and conflicting information about anaerobic performance and functional strength in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
Aims:
To investigate anaerobic capacity and functional strength in children with a clinical diagnosis of DCD (clin-DCD) and if differences were larger in older (age 7-10 years) compared to younger children (age 4-6 years). Furthermore to determine the percentage of children with clin-DCD that scored <15th percentile on the norm-referenced Functional Strength Measurement.
Method:
A clin-DCD group (36 boys, 11 girls, mean age: 7y 1mo, SD=2y 1mo) and a typically developing group (TD) (57 boys, 53 girls, mean age: 7y 5mo, SD=1y 10mo) were compared on Muscle Power Sprint Test (MPST) and Functional Strength Measurement (FSM).
Results:
Children with clin-DCD performed poorer on the MPST and FSM, especially on the muscle endurance items of the FSM. The differences were larger in the older children compared to the younger on the cluster muscle endurance and the FSM total score. Over 50% of clin-DCD group scored <15th percentile on the FSM.
Interpretation:
Differences between children with clin-DCD and TD children are even more pronounced in the older children, especially when tested on items requiring fast repetitive movements.
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