Effect of High-intensity Intermittent Games on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Body Composition in Children

Background

Physical activity is associated with many health benefits, but most children fail to meet the international recommendation. This is a concerning matter for the future health-care population, as cardio-metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents can lead to coronary heart disease, metabolic diseases (obesity, type II diabetes) and mortality in adulthood.

According to children participated in different types of physical activity or early sports practice in the first stages of life has been positively associated with lower occurrence of chronic diseases in adulthood. Ultimately, daily participation in outdoor games, fitness activities, and recreational sports will be a major factor in the improvement of health and well-being of children and adolescents.

Unlike adults, children's habitual physical activity patterns are highly intermittent in nature, characterised by rapid changes from rest to vigorous physical activity.

High-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) describes physical exercise as a brief, intermittent burst of vigorous activity, interspersed by rest periods or low-intensity exercise. HIIT offers infinite variations with the specific physiological adaptations induced by this form of training determined by several factors including the precise nature of the exercise stimulus. In recent years HIIT has received great scientific interest, the studies have examined the physiological effects of HIIT in children and adolescents and reported positive findings on cardiorespiratory fitness, fat-free mass index, a change in body mass index (BMI) and percentage body fat.