Aerobic response to endurance exercise training in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Exercise Science
• Sports Medicine
• Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Background:

• Aerobic fitness is crucial for children's health.
• Understanding aerobic trainability in children is important for developing effective exercise programs.
• Previous research has explored endurance training effects in various age groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if children can enhance their aerobic capacity through a 12-week endurance training program.
• To measure changes in maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) as an indicator of aerobic fitness.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal prospective study design was employed.
• Participants included 24 girls and 13 boys aged 10.9-12.8 years from a middle school physical education class.
• Subjects underwent 12 weeks of 3 weekly 30-minute aerobic training sessions, with maximal treadmill testing conducted before, during, and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• Mean maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) showed a statistically significant increase of 6.5% (from 44.7 to 47.6 mL kg-1min-1) after the 12-week training period (P < .05).
• No significant changes in VO2max were observed during the control period.
• Training response did not differ based on sex, baseline VO2max, or sports participation.

Conclusions:

• Endurance training can improve maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in children.
• The capacity for aerobic improvement through training appears limited in healthy, active children.
• These findings support the inclusion of endurance activities in childhood to enhance cardiorespiratory fitness.