Background: Physical activity is a well-known means of obesity prevention, but the relationship between exercise frequency and body composition in children has not been thoroughly investigated.
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the body composition of children aged 11-12 who regularly performed swimming and other sports as an organized extra-curricular physical activity for a 12-week period.
Methods: The study included 46 students who attended swimming classes and 42 students who participated in training activities in other sports, including, but not limited to, football, basketball and athletics. Body height and body composition were measured using a Tanita BC 418 MA analyzer. The students individually reported their rate of perceived exertion during training using the Pictorial Children's Effort Rating Table PCERT scale.
Results: The weekly volume of training was substantially higher in the group of swimmers than in that playing other sports (12.3 h/week vs. 5.2 h/week, p < 0.01). After 12 weeks of training, body height and weight significantly increased in both groups (p < 0.001). However, the BMI value and adipose tissue content only increased in the group of non-swimmers. Swimmers perceived greater exertion during training than non-swimmers (7.1 vs. 5.8 on the PCERT scale, p < 0.01).
Conclusions: In early pubescent children, engaging in vigorous exercise such as swimming for at least 10 h a week may restrain the growth of adipose tissue. However, the variety of exercises that are typical of team sports, if performed for no more than 5 h a week, may be insufficient to restrain adipose tissue growth.
Keywords: body composition; body mass index; physical activity; pubescence; training.