The effectiveness of a high- intensity games intervention on improving indices of health in young children

This study assessed the effectiveness of a 6- week, high- intensity, games- based intervention on physiological and anthropometric indices of health, in normal weight ( n = 26; 32.5 +/- 8.9 kg) and obese ( n = 29; 49.3 +/- 8.9 kg) children ( n = 32 boys, 23 girls), aged 8-10 years. Children were randomised into an exercise or control group. The exercise group participated in a twice- weekly, 40 min active games intervention, alongside their usual school physical education classes. The control group did not take part in the intervention. Before and after the intervention, participants completed both a maximal and submaximal graded exercise test. The submaximal exercise test comprised of a 6 min, moderate- and 6 min heavy- intensity bout, interspersed with a 5 min recovery. The exercise group demonstrated improvements in maximal oxygen uptake ( 51.4 +/- 8.5 vs 54.3 +/- 9.6 ml +/- kg- 1 center dot min- 1) and peak running speed ( 11.3 +/- 1.6 vs 11.9 +/- 1.6 km center dot h- 1), and a reduction in the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise between assessments ( P <.05). A decrease in waist circumference and increase in muscle mass were observed between assessments for the obese participants randomised to the intervention ( both P <.05). This study demonstrates that a short-term, high- intensity games intervention may elicit positive changes in physiological and anthropometric indices of health in normal weight and obese children.