Purpose of review: To summarize the recent developments relating to the role of physical activity in improving insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. Recent findings: The current literature (1) strengthens previous findings on the relationship between PA and metabolic health in children, (2) suggests a protective role for PA in the setting of obesity, (3) examines population-specific findings, (4) addresses specific effects of different modalities of PA in improving health (5) reveals potential mediators in the relationship between PA and metabolic health, and (6) suggests new markers of metabolic health that could potentially be used as outcomes in future PA studies. Summary: Recent research generally confirms the role of PA in decreasing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents. However, the current literature is limited by unstandardized research methods and definitions as well as aggregation of different age groups, genders and weight status. Future research should address these issues in order to offer targeted PA interventions.
Recent research confirms and expands on the previously known endocrinopathies in Down syndrome and provides more insight into potential underlying mechanisms.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.