School-based exercise program improves fitness, body composition and cardiovascular risk profile in overweight/obese children

We determined the effect of a school-based exercise training (ET) without dietary intervention, on body composition, fitness and cardiovascular risk in overweight/obese children. Subjects were 51 overweight/obese 6.5- to 12.5-year-old children (23 boys, 28 girls; BMI 25.6 +/- 4.3 kg/m(2)), of whom 48 completed the program. Participants were enrolled in a 15-week aerobic training (three 60-minute sessions/week). Working heart rate was between 120-185 beats/minute. Participation rate was 87%. BMI, waist circumference, body composition (bioimpedance), aerobic capacity (treadmill), blood pressure, lipids and insulin sensitivity (HOMA) were assessed. Waist circumference (85.9 +/- 12.4 vs. 80.9 +/- 10.2 cm), muscle mass (32.4 +/- 6.2 vs. 33.7 +/- 6.1 kg), maximal oxygen consumption (37.0 +/- 3.9 vs. 42.6 +/- 11.2 ml/ kg per minute), systolic blood pressure (113.3 +/- 11.2 vs. 106.7 +/- 11.6 mmHg) and LDL cholesterol (2.4 +/- 0.6 vs. 1.9 +/- 0.6 mM/l) improved significantly. Number of children with abdominal obesity (29 vs. 20), hypertension (10 vs. 5) and elevated triglyceride (18 vs. 14) also declined significantly over time. We concluded that as a result of high attendance and appropriate training program, cardiovascular fitness and abdominal obesity improved in overweight/obese children along with the improvement in metabolic risk factor profile.