Performance on Functional Strength Measurement and Muscle Power Sprint Test confirm poor anaerobic capacity in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Abstract

Background: There is little and conflicting information about anaerobic performance and functional strength in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).

Aims: To investigate anaerobic capacity and functional strength in children with a clinical diagnosis of DCD (clin-DCD) and if differences were larger in older (age 7-10 years) compared to younger children (age 4-6 years). Furthermore to determine the percentage of children with clin-DCD that scored <15th percentile on the norm-referenced Functional Strength Measurement.

Method: A clin-DCD group (36 boys, 11 girls, mean age: 7y 1mo, SD=2y 1mo) and a typically developing group (TD) (57 boys, 53 girls, mean age: 7y 5mo, SD=1y 10mo) were compared on Muscle Power Sprint Test (MPST) and Functional Strength Measurement (FSM).

Results: Children with clin-DCD performed poorer on the MPST and FSM, especially on the muscle endurance items of the FSM. The differences were larger in the older children compared to the younger on the cluster muscle endurance and the FSM total score. Over 50% of clin-DCD group scored <15th percentile on the FSM.

Interpretation: Differences between children with clin-DCD and TD children are even more pronounced in the older children, especially when tested on items requiring fast repetitive movements.

Keywords: Anaerobic capacity; Children; DCD; Functional strength measurement; MPST.