[Physiology of muscular exercise in children]

Abstract

When compared to adults, muscle mass in children is lower and the relative development of aerobic and anaerobic pathways is different. The main consequences are the following: 1) The aerobic metabolism, evaluated by measurement of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), is either the same as in adults or more developed when VO2 max is related to body mass or lean body mass. 2) The maximal anaerobic power developed during force-velocity test and Wingate test is lower than in adults even if it is expressed by total or lean body mass unit. Blood lactate concentration is also lower. This immaturity of the anaerobic metabolism, especially the "lactic pathway" may result from lower anaerobic enzyme activities (lactico-dehydrogenase, phosphofructokinase, etc) and glycogen content. During puberty, "lactic metabolism" starts to develop significantly, simultaneously with muscle mass. It has been suggested that sexual hormones (testosterone in boys, oestrogens in girls) and other factors, such as growth factors, are implicated in this phenomenon. During this period, the aerobic metabolism remains unchanged. In prepubertal children there is neither aerobic nor anaerobic specialization: the highest anaerobic performance is associated with the highest VO2 max. Moreover, it seems that before puberty, bioenergetic profile is not modified by training. 3) Despite a high VO2 max, performance in endurance events is not as high in children as in adults because of a lower running economy. Cardiovascular responses are characterized by higher maximal and infra-maximal heart rates, and lower systolic stroke volume and arterial blood pressures than in adults. During prolonged exercise, the hormonal adaptations for energy substrate utilization is quite different from adults: a lower decrease in insulin and increase in catecholamines and glucagon in response to exercise could be responsible for a less effective regulation of glycemia with a risk of hypoglycemia. Therefore, an adequate carbohydrate intake is recommended.