Structural and functional cardiac adaptations to a 10‐week school‐based football intervention for 9–10‐year‐old children

Abstract

The present study investigated the cardiac effects of a 10-week football training intervention for school children aged 9-10 years using comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography as a part of a larger ongoing study. A total of 97 pupils from four school classes were clusterrandomized into a control group that maintained their usual activities (CON; two classes, n = 51, 21 boys and 30 girls) and a football training group that performed an additional 3 × 40 min of small-sided football training per week (FT; two classes, n = 46, 23 boys and 23 girls). No baseline differences were observed in age, body composition, or echocardiographic variables between FT and CON. After the 10-week intervention, left ventricular posterior wall diameter was increased in FT compared with CON [0.4 ± 0.7 vs −0.1 ± 0.6 (± SD) mm; P < 0.01] as was the interventricular septum thickness (0.2 ± 0.7 vs −0.2 ± 0.8 mm; P < 0.001). Global isovolumetric relaxation time increased more in FT than in CON (3.8 ± 10.4 vs −0.9 ± 6.6 ms, P < 0.05) while the change in ventricular systolic ejection fraction tended to be higher (1.4 ± 8.0 vs −1.1 ± 5.5%; P = 0.08). No changes were observed in resting heart rate or blood pressure. In conclusion, a short-term, school-based intervention comprising smallsided football sessions resulted in significant structural and functional cardiac adaptations in pre-adolescent children.

‘FIFA 11 for Health’ for Europe. II: effect on health markers and physical fitness in Danish schoolchildren aged 10–12 years

“…12 Since the 'FIFA 11 for Health' programme combines health education with physical activity, the average exercise intensity and activity level may not have been as high as in the previous small-sided football studies, and the improvements in Yo-Yo performance for young schoolchildren have been shown to be closely related to the time spent in the highest aerobic intensity zone. 13 Nonetheless, the modified 'FIFA 11 for Health' programme focusing on NCDs did include two weekly 45 min sessions rather than one 90 min session and did include at least 30 min/ week of small-sided games (2v2 to 5v5) with at least 20 min in the play football session and at least 10 min in the play fair session (see table 1). This study suggests that this protocol was sufficient to induce multiple effects on cardiorespiratory health and also to provide some improvements in sprint performance and intermittent exercise performance.…”

“…[8][9][10][11] It has furthermore been shown that small-sided drills induce high heart rates (HRs), a high number of intense actions along with high involvement, technical success rates and training effects for boys and girls irrespective of body mass index (BMI), fitness level or prior experience with football. [12][13][14][15] It was therefore decided to implement each 90 min session of the 'FIFA 11 for Health' programme over two separate 45 min periods conducted at least 1 day apart, and to include a high number of small-sided games and drills in order to ensure exercise periods with high intensity and high involvement for all participants. The modifications to the health messages, which were based on a rigorous examination of the health challenges in Europe arising from NCDs and an examination of successful and unsuccessful health campaigns in the Western world, resulted in a programme providing health education focusing on physical activity, nutrition and abuse as well as positive thinking and well-being.…”

Effect of game format on heart rate, activity profile, and player involvement in elite and recreational youth players

“…() have also shown improved performance and endurance capacity as well as lower HR during submaximal exercise after 6 months of football training for 8–12‐year‐old overweight boys. It has also been shown that football training has considerable effects on cardiac structure and function (Hansen et al., ; Krustrup et al., ) and important positive effects on self‐esteem and attraction to physical activity (Faude et al., ; Seabra et al., ). Thus, the available studies on the health effects in children after football participation indicates that football training for children has several positive health‐related effects as observed for adults (Krustrup et al., , ; Randers et al., , ).…”

Efectos de un programa de actividad física intensa en la tensión arterial y frecuencia cardiaca de adolescentes de 12-15 años

“…Sin embargo, en este caso la reducción de la presión arterial fue no significativa estadísticamente aparte de la presión arterial diastólica en el grupo que realizó tres días de actividad física por semana (p=0.04). Krustrup et al (2014) llevaron a cabo un estudio con 97 niños de 9 a 10 años (divididos en grupos de práctica y control) que realizaron, adicionalmente a su actividad normal, tres sesiones a la semana de 40 minutos de fútbol. En dicho estudio no se mostraron cambios en la frecuencia cardiaca en reposo ni en la presión arterial.…”