Effects of Body Fat and Dominant Somatotype on Explosive Strength and Aerobic Capacity Trainability in Prepubescent Children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of body fat and somatotype on explosive strength and aerobic capacity trainability in the prepubertal growth spurt, marked by rapid changes in body size, shape, and composition, all of which are sexually dimorphic. One hundred twenty-five healthy children (58 boys, 67 girls), aged 10-11 years (10.8 ± 0.4 years), who were self-assessed in Tanner stages 1-2, were randomly assigned into 2 experimental groups to train twice a week for 8 weeks: strength training group (19 boys, 22 girls), endurance training group (21 boys, 24 girls), and a control group (18 boys, 21 girls). Evaluation of body fat was carried out using the method described by Slaughter. Somatotype was computed according to the Heath-Carter method. Increased endomorphy reduced the likelihood of vertical jump height improvement (odds ratio [OR], 0.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01-0.85), increased mesomorphy (OR, 6.15; 95% CI, 1.52-24.88) and ectomorphy (OR, 6.52; 95% CI, 1.71-24.91) increased the likelihood of sprint performance, and increased ectomorphy (OR, 3.84; 95% CI, 1.20-12.27) increased the likelihood of aerobic fitness gains. Sex did not affect the training-induced changes in strength or aerobic fitness. These data suggest that somatotype has an effect on explosive strength and aerobic capacity trainability, which should not be disregarded. The effect of adiposity on explosive strength, musculoskeletal magnitude on running speed, and relative linearity on running speed and aerobic capacity seem to be crucial factors related to training-induced gains in prepubescent boys and girls.

Differentiating maturational influence on training‐induced strength and endurance adaptations in prepubescent children

“…In addition to changes in body size and composition, the prepubertal growth spurt is also marked by rapid changes in body shape (Malina and Bouchard, ). A recent study by Marta et al () showed that the morphological constitution affects training‐induced explosive strength and aerobic adaptations more strongly than fat mass in children aged 10‐ and 11‐ year‐old in Tanner stages I and II. In this study, the musculoskeletal magnitude on explosive strength and relative linearity on aerobic capacity have proven to be crucial factors related to training‐induced gains.…”

“…In this study, the musculoskeletal magnitude on explosive strength and relative linearity on aerobic capacity have proven to be crucial factors related to training‐induced gains. In contrast, the relative adiposity has a negative effect on the training response (Marta et al, ). Furthermore, the literature reports that, during the prepubertal period, growth and dimensional increases are not accompanied by muscle development because the effects of circulating androgens, particularly testosterone, only manifest themselves at puberty (Ramsay et al, ).…”

Changes in maximal oxygen uptake during growth and development in girls who actively participate in basketball and in non-athletes girls: A longitudinal study

“…Representative data of VO 2max values in the young girls were scarce, presented within a wide range of age (i.e. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19], and vary among studies depending on sample size and measurement methods 3,8 . Our data are highly comparable with those reported in a study including 92 active and 75 non-active Spanish girls (41.85 mL/kg/min and 39.03 mL/kg/min in 12 to 18-years-old active and non-active girls, respectively) 4 .…”

“…In addition, according to Robbins et al 15 , by the age of 13, only about 22% of girls meet World Health Organization recommendations of at least 60 min of physical activity every day 1,16,17 and almost 28% are already overweight or obese. These findings indicate that young girls would benefit from continuous involvement in exercise programs, such as those designed to increase physical activity 15,18,19 .…”

Examination of Physical Fitness and Somatotype Features of Parkour Practitioners (Traceur) and Gymnasts in University Education

“…On the other hand, in many studies on different branches, it is stated that the anthropometric features of the athletes have to be appropriate at the level of fulfilling the requirements of the sports branch in which they are engaged. It was demonstrated in many studies that the positive effects of anthropometric features of athletes on their development levels and athletic performances are very important for success (Marta et al, 2013;Vila et al 2009).…”