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Relationship between Skeletal Muscle Thickness and Physical Activity in 4- to 6-Year-Olds in Japan
Pengyu Deng1,2, Hayao Ozaki1,3, Toshiharu Natsume4
1Faculty of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Inzai 270-1695, Chiba, Japan.
Insights
Physical activity in preschoolers is linked to skeletal muscle growth. Higher levels of total physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous activity correlate with increased lower leg muscle thickness, especially in boys.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric exercise science
- Skeletal muscle physiology
- Developmental kinesiology
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) is crucial for skeletal muscle development.
- Limited research exists on PA's impact on preschooler skeletal muscle.
- Understanding this relationship can inform interventions for healthy growth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between physical activity levels and skeletal muscle thickness in preschoolers.
- To explore how PA influences skeletal muscle development in young children.
- To provide insights for promoting healthy muscle growth through physical activity.
Main Methods:
- 275 Japanese preschoolers (4-6 years) participated.
- Accelerometers measured daily steps and physical activity duration (total and moderate-to-vigorous).
- Muscle thickness was assessed via ultrasound at lower leg and thigh sites.
Main Results:
- Boys exhibited higher physical activity levels than girls on weekdays and weekends.
- Increased total physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous PA were associated with greater anterior tibialis and posterior lower leg muscle thickness.
- Weekday activity levels were higher than weekend levels for all participants.
Conclusions:
- Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity positively correlates with lower body skeletal muscle development in preschoolers.
- Boys generally engaged in more physical activity than girls.
- Findings highlight the importance of PA for muscle growth in early childhood.
Purpose:
Physical activity (PA) is widely recognized as a key factor in promoting skeletal muscle growth, though little is known about the specific impact of PA on the skeletal muscle development of preschool children. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is a relationship between PA levels and skeletal muscle thickness in preschoolers. By exploring this relationship, we hope to gain a better understanding of how PA can be used to promote healthy skeletal muscle development in preschoolers.
Methods:
In this study, a total of 275 healthy Japanese preschoolers, aged 4-6 years, from seven nursery schools in the town of Togo were recruited. Participants were asked to wear an accelerometer for four consecutive days to record their daily steps and the amount of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA and t total physical activity. Muscle thickness (MTs) was measured using B-mode ultrasonography at four sites: the anterior and posterior thigh (AT and PT, respectively) and the anterior and posterior lower leg (AL and PL, respectively).
Results:
On weekdays, boys were found to be more physically active and engaged in significantly higher levels of total physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous PA than girls. Both boys and girls recorded more physical activity, daily steps, and higher levels of total physical activity and MVPA on weekdays compared to weekends. After adjusting for daylight duration, multivariable regression analyses revealed that increased total physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous PA were positively associated with greater muscle thickness size in the anterior tibialis (AT) and posterior lower leg (PL) muscles (β = 1.11 and β = 1.37 for AT, β = 1.18 and β = 0.94 for PL, p < 0.05) in Japanese preschoolers.
Conclusions:
The time spent involved in most of the different categories of moderate-to-vigorous PA was significantly higher for boys than for girls on the weekdays and weekends. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between time spent in moderate-to-vigorous PA and greater development of skeletal muscle in the lower body.
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