Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jun 27:13:881364.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.881364. eCollection 2022.

Development of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Children in the Transition From Kindergarten to Basic School According to Participation in Organized Sports

Merike Järvamägi  1 , Eva-Maria Riso  1 , Kirkke Reisberg  1 , Jaak Jürimäe  1
Affiliations

Development of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Children in the Transition From Kindergarten to Basic School According to Participation in Organized Sports

Merike Järvamägi et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the development of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in children in the transition from kindergarten to basic school according to participation in organized sports and estimated the associations of CRF and body composition indices during the transition from childhood to preadolescence. Methods: Children participated in the three-staged study (kindergarten, 6.6 years, n = 212; 1st grade, 7.6 years, n = 136; and 5th grade, 11.5 years, n = 142) for 5 years and were categorized into three groups according to their participation in organized sports in the study period (whole period, episodically, and never). Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by performing a 20-m shuttle run test, while body composition was measured by skinfold thicknesses, and physical activity was registered with an accelerometer. International gender- and age-specific CRF reference normativities were also used to characterize the participants. Results: Children who participated consistently in organized sports had significantly higher CRF levels and lower body fatness (31.3 ± 13.5 laps in 20 m shuttle run; 21.1% ± 6.3% body fat) in 11.5 years than in children who had never participated in sports clubs (20.7 ± 12.0 laps in 20-m shuttle run; 26.1% ± 6.8% body fat). Body composition and CRF did not associate in consistently trained children. The proportion of 5th grade children demonstrating age-appropriate healthy CRF was almost threefold higher in the group of consistent sports training among both boys and girls than among non-members of sports clubs. Conclusion: Consistent attendance in organized sports in childhood and early preadolescence ensures higher CRF and healthier body composition than in children who had no experience of organized sports.

Keywords: body composition; cardiorespiratory fitness; children; organized sports; physical activity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
(A) Longitudinal changes in CRF in different groups according to organized sports participation. Estimated marginal means express the number of laps in the 20-m shuttle run. (B) Longitudinal changes in the BMI in different groups according to organized sports participation. Estimated marginal means express the value of the BMI. (C) Longitudinal changes in the FFMI in different groups according to organized sports participation. Estimated marginal means express the value of the FFMI. (D) Longitudinal changes in the body fat % in different groups according to organized sports participation. Estimated marginal means express the percentage of body fat. Groups 1, 2, and 3: group 1—participation in organized sports in all stages of the study; group 2—never participated in organized sports; and group 3—participation in organized sports in 5th grade or in 1st and 5th grades. CRF, cardiorespiratory fitness; MVPA, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; VPA, vigorous physical activity; BMI, body mass index (kg/m2); FFMI, fat-free mass index (kg/m2).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ara I., Vicente-Rodríguez G., Jimenez-Ramirez J., Dorado C., Serrano-Sanchez J. A., Calbet J. A., et al. (2004). Regular Participation in Sports Is Associated with Enhanced Physical Fitness and Lower Fat Mass in Prepubertal Boys. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 28, 1585–1593. 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802754 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Azevedo M. R., Araújo C. L., Silva M. C. d., Hallal P. C. (2007). Tracking of Physical Activity from Adolescence to Adulthood: A Population-Based Study. Rev. Saúde Pública 41, 69–75. 10.1590/S0034-89102007000100010 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cadenas-Sanchez C., Intemann T., Labayen I., Peinado A. B., Vidal-Conti J., Sanchis-Moysi J., et al. (2016b). Physical Fitness Reference Standards for Preschool Children: the PREFIT Project. J. Sci. Med. Sport 22, 430–437. 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.09.227 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cadenas-Sanchez C., Martinez-Tellez B., Sanchez-Delgado G., Mora-Gonzalez J., Castro-Piñero J., Löf M., et al. (2016a). Assessing Physical Fitness in Preschool Children: Feasibility, Reliability and Practical Recommendations for the PREFIT Battery. J. Sci. Med. Sport 19, 910–915. 10.1016/j.jsams.2016.02.003 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chaput J.-P., Willumsen J., Bull F., Chou R., Ekelund U., Firth J., et al. (2020). 2020 WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour for Children and Adolescents Aged 5-17 Years: Summary of the Evidence. Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act. 17, 141. 10.1186/s12966-020-01037-z - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources