The Effect of Duration of Resistance Training Interventions in Children Who Are Overweight or Obese

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different durations of resistance training on body composition and power in children. The study was a 24-week longitudinal design involving 31 preadolescent children who were overweight or obese (ages 7-12 years), divided into 3 groups and resistance trained 3 times per week. Group 8 (G8) trained for 8 weeks, group 16 (G16) trained for 16 weeks, and group 24 (G24) trained for 24 weeks. All participants were measured at weeks 0, 8, 16, and 24 for body composition and power. Subjects in G8 and G16 continued to be tested during the testing weeks after cessation of their training programs. Body composition and bone mineral content were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Significant improvements in body composition were seen in the initial 8-week training phase, and these improvements were maintained for the subsequent 16 weeks. Significant changes in percent body fat ( approximately 5-7%) were observed at 8 weeks in all 3 groups. Total fat mass decreased significantly at week 8 in G16 and G24 (5.9%). By week 24, total fat mass was significantly reduced by 8.1% in G24. Significant improvements were observed in static jump power, which improved by 10.5% at week 16 in G24. These results suggest that an 8-week resistance training program is sufficient time to significantly change body composition, strength, and power measures in children who are overweight or obese. However, further improvements are realized with longer-duration resistance training programs. On cessation of the training programs, the G8 and G16 groups maintained the benefits of the exercise program until the end of the study period.

The Effect of Exercise on Leptin, Insulin, Cortisol and Lipid Profiles in Obese Children

“…Obesity develops as triglyceride deposits increase in adipose tissue, with a consequential decrease in the insulin response in muscle and adipose tissue. 12,17 Resistance to insulin is undoubtedly one of the most significant mechanisms causing complications of obesity. 12 The present study showed that positive changes were observed in body weight, body composition and blood lipid levels in children aged 10 -12 years after 12 weeks of regular exercise.…”

“…16 Weight gain in childhood, even at moderate levels, tends to continue into adulthood and can cause serious problems. 17 The duration of obesity is an independent indicator for the effects of obesity on health. 16 The development of persistent obesity is more likely when weight gain occurs in early childhood, during the pre-pubertal development period or during adolescence.…”

Position statement on youth resistance training: the 2014 International Consensus

“…Regular participation in youth resistance training programme has been shown to elicit favourable short-term influences on musculoskeletal health, body composition and cardiovascular risk factors 11 74 – 77. However, following a period of detraining (8–12 weeks) various measures of muscular fitness appear to regress towards baseline values,78 – 80 suggesting that engagement in resistance training should be viewed as a long-term, year-round commitment to a well-constructed and varied periodised programme.…”

“…Such progression should provide the child with sufficient exposure in order to aid motor control development, while serving as a suitable volume for physical conditioning. As training age and athletic competency increases, youth can be introduced to periodic phases of lower repetition ranges (≤6) and higher external loads (>85% 1 RM) in training, on the proviso that technical competency remains 15 77 200 234 235…”

There is No Need to Avoid Resistance Training (Weight Lifting) until Physeal Closure

“…[13][14][15][16]18,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28] Although these studies individually analyzed small numbers of patients, they collectively assessed . 300 age-matched children and adolescents.…”