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Association Between Physical Fitness and Bone Strength and Structure in 3- to 5-Year-Old Children
Alejandro Gómez-Bruton1,2,3, Jorge Marín-Puyalto1,2,3,4, Borja Muñiz-Pardos1,3
1GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group, Zaragoza, Spain.
Insights
Physical fitness in preschoolers significantly impacts bone health, with fitter children showing better bone structure and strength. These findings highlight the importance of fitness assessments for monitoring bone development in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Bone Health
- Exercise Physiology in Early Childhood
Background:
- Limited research exists on the relationship between physical fitness and bone structure in preschoolers.
- Previous studies focused on older children and adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between physical fitness and bone variables in preschoolers.
- To determine if sex influences this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 92 preschoolers (3-5 years old).
- Assessed physical fitness using the Assessing FITness levels in PREschoolers (PREFIT) battery.
- Measured tibial bone structure using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT).
- Utilized cluster analysis to categorize children into fitness groups.
Main Results:
- Three fitness groups identified: fit, strong, and unfit.
- The fit group exhibited superior bone mineral content, cortical area, and strength compared to other groups.
- Specific fitness components like handgrip strength, standing long jump, and speed/agility predicted bone variables.
Conclusions:
- Global physical fitness is a crucial factor for bone structure and strength in preschoolers.
- Fitness assessments can offer valuable insights into bone health in this age group.
- No significant sex-based differences were observed in bone variables.
Background:
The positive association between physical fitness and bone structure has been widely investigated in children and adolescents, yet no studies have evaluated this influence in young children (ie, preschoolers).
Hypothesis:
Fit children will present improved bone variables when compared with unfit children, and no sex-based differences will emerge in the sample.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Level Of Evidence:
Level 3.
Methods:
Handgrip strength, standing long jump (SLJ), speed/agility, balance, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were assessed using the Assessing FITness levels in PREschoolers (PREFIT) test battery in 92 children (50 boys; age range, 3-5 years). A peripheral quantitative computed tomography scan was performed at 38% of the length of the nondominant tibia. Cluster analysis from handgrip strength, SLJ, speed/agility, and CRF was developed to identify fitness groups. Bone variables were compared between sexes and between cluster groups. The association between individual physical fitness components and different bone variables was also tested.
Results:
Three cluster groups emerged: fit (high values on all included physical fitness variables), strong (high strength values and low speed/agility and CRF), and unfit (low strength, speed/agility, and CRF). The fit group presented higher values than the strong and unfit groups for total and cortical bone mineral content, cortical area, and polar strength strain index (all P < 0.05). The fit group also presented a higher cortical thickness when compared with the unfit group (P < 0.05). Handgrip, SLJ, and speed/agility predicted all bone variables except for total and cortical volumetric bone mineral density. No differences were found for bone variables between sexes.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that global fitness in preschoolers is a key determinant for bone structure and strength but not volumetric bone mineral density.
Clinical Relevance:
Physical fitness is a determinant for tibial bone mineral content, structure, and strength in very young children. Performing physical fitness tests could provide useful information related to bone health in preschoolers.
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