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Relationship between the skeletal muscle mass index and physical activity of Japanese children: A cross-sectional,
Tadashi Ito1,2, Hideshi Sugiura2, Yuji Ito3
1Three-Dimensional Motion Analysis Room, Aichi Prefectural Mikawa Aoitori Medical and Rehabilitation Center for Developmental Disabilities, Okazaki, Japan.
Insights
Regular physical activity in children is crucial for building skeletal muscle mass. Meeting the recommended daily activity levels is linked to higher muscle mass index in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Exercise Science
- Biomedical Research
Background:
- Regular physical activity is vital for children's skeletal muscle mass and strength.
- Low physical activity levels in childhood can lead to future health issues, including muscle mass loss.
- Identifying declining physical function in inactive children is important for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between recommended physical activity levels and skeletal muscle mass index in children.
- To evaluate the relationship between daily physical activity duration/frequency and physical function metrics.
- To determine if meeting physical activity guidelines impacts skeletal muscle mass and physical performance in young children.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 340 typically developing children aged 6-12 years.
- Assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) adherence (≥60 min/day, ≥5 days/week).
- Measured skeletal muscle mass index, body fat percentage, and various physical function tests (gait speed, grip strength, etc.) using multiple logistic regression analysis.
Main Results:
- A significant independent association was found between meeting MVPA recommendations and a higher skeletal muscle mass index (OR, 2.34; P = 0.017).
- Performing ≥60 minutes of MVPA for ≥5 days per week was positively linked to the skeletal muscle mass index in Japanese children.
- The study controlled for confounding factors like age and sex in the analyses.
Conclusions:
- Adherence to recommended daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is crucial for developing adequate skeletal muscle mass in children.
- Promoting regular physical activity in childhood supports musculoskeletal health and may prevent future health problems.
- Findings emphasize the importance of physical activity for skeletal muscle development during childhood.
Abstract:
Regular physical activity is an important component of physical health of children and has been associated with increasing skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength. Children with low levels of physical activity may experience health problems, such as loss of muscle mass, later in life. Thus, it may be valuable to identify declining physical function in children who do not perform the recommended amount of physical activity. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the amount of physical activity performed for ≥60 min per day for ≥5 days per week and the skeletal muscle mass index and physical function in young children. In total, 340 typically developing children aged 6-12 years (175 girls; average age, 9.5±1.9 years) were included in this cross-sectional study. We evaluated the proportion of children performing the recommended minimum of 60 min of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity at least 5 days per week. The skeletal muscle mass and Gait Deviation Index scores, gait speed, grip strength, Five Times Sit-to-Stand test results, Timed Up-and-Go test results, one-leg standing time, and gait efficiency were evaluated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity with the skeletal muscle mass index, percent body fat, and physical function, after controlling for confounding factors (age and sex). A logistic regression analysis revealed that the skeletal muscle mass index was independently associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (odds ratio, 2.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-4.71; P = 0.017). Performance of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for ≥5 days per week for ≥60 min per day was associated with the skeletal muscle mass index score of Japanese children. Our findings highlighted the importance of performing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for the development of skeletal muscle mass in children.
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