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Positive effects on bone mineralisation and muscular fitness after 10 months of intense school-based physical training for children aged 8 to 10 years: the FIT FIRST randomised controlled trial [with consumer summary]
Larsen MN, Nielsen CM, Helge EW, Madsen M, Manniche V, Hansen L, Hansen PR, Bangsbo J, Krustrup P
British Journal of Sports Medicine 2018 Feb;52(4):254-260
clinical trial
7/10 [Eligibility criteria: No; Random allocation: Yes; Concealed allocation: Yes; Baseline comparability: Yes; Blind subjects: No; Blind therapists: No; Blind assessors: No; Adequate follow-up: Yes; Intention-to-treat analysis: Yes; Between-group comparisons: Yes; Point estimates and variability: Yes. Note: Eligibility criteria item does not contribute to total score] *This score has been confirmed*

OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether musculoskeletal fitness of school children aged 8 to 10 years was affected by frequent intense PE sessions. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: 295 Danish school children aged 8 to 10 years were cluster randomised to a small-sided ball game group (SSG) (n = 96, four schools, five classes), a circuit strength training group (CST) (n = 83, four schools, four classes) or a control group (CON, n = 116, two schools, five classes). INTERVENTION: SSG or CST was performed 3x40 min/week over 10 months. Whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans were used to determine areal bone mineral density (aBMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and lean body mass (LBM). Flamingo balance, standing long jump and 20-m sprint tests were used to determine muscular fitness. RESULTS: Analysis of baseline-to-10 months change scores showed between-group differences in favour of the interventions in whole-body aBMD (SSG versus CON 8 mg/cm2, 95% CI 3 to 13; CST versus CON 7 mg/cm2, 95% CI 2 to 13, p < 0.05) and leg BMC (SSG versus CON 11 g, 95% CI 4 to 18; CST versus CON 11 g, 95% CI 3 to 18, p < 0.05). SSG had higher change scores in leg aBMD compared with CON and CST (SSG versus CON 19 mg/cm2, 95% CI 11 to 39, p < 0.05; SSG versus CST 12 mg/cm2, 95% CI 3 to 21, p < 0.05), and CST had higher change scores in whole-body BMC compared with CON (CST versus CON 25 g, 95% CI 10 to 39, p < 0.05). Both training types resulted in higher change scores in postural balance (SSG versus CON 2.4 fewer falls/min, 95% CI 0.3 to 4.5, CST versus CON 3.6 fewer falls/min, 95% CI 1.3 to 5.9, p < 0.05) and jump length (SSG versus CON 10%, 95% CI 5 to 16%; CST versus CON 9%, 95% CI 3 to 15%, p < 0.05). No between-group differences were observed for sprint performance or LBM (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, 3x40 min/week with SSG or CST over a full school year improves bone mineralisation and several aspects of muscular fitness of children aged 8 to 10 years, suggesting that well-organised intense physical education classes can contribute positively to develop musculoskeletal health in young children. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02000492.
Reproduced with permission from the BMJ Publishing Group.

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