During the first years of life, rapid cognitive and physical development takes place and is also an important period for behavioral patterns to establish. 1 Physical activity (PA) in early childhood is essential to determining PA patterns in the long term. 2 PA appears to increase with age during
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Trajectories of Device-Measured Physical Activity During Early Childhood and Its Determinants: Findings From the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study
Debora Tornquist, Inácio Crochemore-Silva, Luciana Tornquist, Grégore I. Mielke, Ulf Ekelund, Joseph Murray, and Marlos R. Domingues
Development of Aerobic Fitness during Childhood and Adolescence
Neil Armstrong and Joanne R. Welsman
Over 60 years ago, Robinson published the first investigation of boys’ aerobic fitness; almost 50 years ago, Åstrand conducted his pioneering studies of both sexes. Twenty four percent of the papers published during the first 10 years of Pediatric Exercise Science (1989-98) involved the determination of peak V̇O2. Yet, the interpretation of aerobic fitness during childhood and adolescence is still shrouded with controversy. In this paper we review peak V̇O2 in relation to age, growth, maturation, and sex. We describe the increase in peak V̇O2 with age, challenge the traditional interpretation of peak V̇O2 during growth, demonstrate the independent contribution of maturation to peak V̇O2, and address the progressive divergence of boys’ and girls’ peak V̇O2, during childhood and adolescence.
Energy Expenditure among Children: Implications for Childhood Obesity I: Resting and Dietary Energy Expenditure
Jackie L. Puhl
The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, persistence of obesity over time, and health risks associated with it place childhood obesity among the highest national health concerns. The extent to which excess caloric intake or insufficient energy expenditure contribute to childhood obesity has not yet been clearly delineated. This report examines the components of the energy alance equation, focusing on the major components of energy expenditure (rest, thermic effect of food, and physical activity) whereby differences may affect energy balance and promote or perpetuate obesity among children. Some implications of differences in energy expenditure to childhood obesity and areas of needed research are suggested.
Correlates of Sedentary Time Among Children and Adolescents in Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Sibhatu Biadgilign, Tennyson Mgutshini, Bereket Gebremichael, Demewoz Haile, Lioul Berhanu, Stanley Chitekwe, and Peter Memiah
, Katzmarzyk PT , Barreira TV , Broyles ST , Chaput J-P , Church TS , et al . Correlates of total sedentary time and screen time in 9–11 year-old children around the world: the international study of childhood obesity, lifestyle and the environment . PLoS One . 2015 ; 10 : e0129622 . doi:10
Are Movement Behaviors and Fundamental Motor Skills Associated With Fitness and Fatness in Early Childhood? Findings From the 2012 NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey
Xiaoxia Zhang, Xiangli Gu, Tao Zhang, Priscila Caçola, and Jing Wang
The high prevalence of childhood obesity is a significant concern to our society, as more than 30% of young children aged between 3 and 5 years being currently categorized as overweight and obese ( 30 ), and spending 34% to 94% of their day being sedentary ( 16 ). Obesity in early childhood is
Exercise, Hormones, and Skeletal Adaptations During Childhood and Adolescence
Joshua N. Farr, Deepika R. Laddu, and Scott B. Going
Although primarily considered a disorder of the elderly, emerging evidence suggests the antecedents of osteoporosis are established during childhood and adolescence. A complex interplay of genetic, environmental, hormonal and behavioral factors determines skeletal development, and a greater effort is needed to identify the most critical factors that establish peak bone strength. Indeed, knowledge of modifiable factors that determine skeletal development may permit optimization of skeletal health during growth and could potentially offset reductions in bone strength with aging. The peripubertal years represent a unique period when the skeleton is particularly responsive to loading exercises, and there is now overwhelming evidence that exercise can optimize skeletal development. While this is not controversial, the most effective exercise prescription and how much investment in this prescription is needed to significantly impact bone health continues to be debated. Despite considerable progress, these issues are not easy to address, and important questions remain unresolved. This review focuses on the key determinants of skeletal development, whether exercise during childhood and adolescence should be advocated as a safe and effective strategy for optimizing peak bone strength, and whether investment in exercise early in life protects against the development of osteoporosis and fractures later in life.
Adiponectin, Resistin, and Visfatin in Childhood Obesity and Exercise
Athanasios Z. Jamurtas, Antonios Stavropoulos-Kalinoglou, Stilianos Koutsias, Yiannis Koutedakis, and Ioannis Fatouros
Childhood obesity is increasing alarmingly, and a strong association with chronic diseases has been established. Specific adipokines are released from the adipose tissue and relate with chronic diseases even in the pediatric population. Adiponectin levels are lower in obesity and increase with decreasing body weight. A few pediatric studies examining a possible relationship between resistin and obesity do not provide a clear picture. Most studies agree that visfatin levels appear elevated in childhood obesity. Exercise seems to increase adiponectin levels whereas resistin levels are reduced. The lack of data on the effects of acute and chronic exercise on visfatin levels precludes us from making safe conclusions as to what the effects of exercise (acute or chronic) would be on visfatin levels in children. Clearly, exercise has an impact on the adipose tissue and the release of adiponectin, resistin, and visfatin. However, other factors affect the secretion rate of these adipokines from the adipose tissue; these factors should also be taken into consideration when examining the effects of exercise on adipokines. Gender, age, body composition, physical activity levels, mode and intensity of exercise are some of the factors that should be looked into in future studies.
Efficacy of a Physical Activity e-Learning Course Delivered to Early Childhood Educators on Preschoolers’ Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Matthew Bourke, Brianne A. Bruijns, Kendall Saravanamuttoo, Leigh M. Vanderloo, and Patricia Tucker
development to early childhood educators (ECEs) in physical activity ( 18 , 26 ). Therefore, implementing innovative approaches to providing ECEs with physical activity professional development has been identified as key for physical activity interventions delivered in childcare settings ( 18 ). One
The Associations Between Environmental Characteristics of Early Childhood Education and Care Centers and 1-Year Change in Toddlers’ Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior
Zhiguang Zhang, Eduarda Sousa-Sá, João R. Pereira, Anthony D. Okely, Xiaoqi Feng, and Rute Santos
The first 3 years of life is a critical period for the establishment of a physically active lifestyle, 1 given that levels of activity at a young age are likely to track throughout childhood 2 and even into adulthood. 3 Physical activity in early years has been consistently associated with
Effects of Regular Exercise During Pregnancy on Early Childhood Neurodevelopment: The Physical Activity for Mothers Enrolled in Longitudinal Analysis Randomized Controlled Trial
Otávio Amaral de Andrade Leão, Marlos Rodrigues Domingues, Andréa Dâmaso Bertoldi, Luiza Isnardi Cardoso Ricardo, Werner de Andrade Müller, Luciana Tornquist, Rafaela Costa Martins, Joseph Murray, Mariângela Freitas Silveira, Inácio Crochemore-Silva, Pedro Curi Hallal, and Gregore Iven Mielke
development. 14 – 16 Systematic reviews show that exercise during pregnancy is not associated with neonatal complications or other adverse childhood outcomes 14 and might lead to improvements in children’s cognition, intelligence, and language development. 15 , 16 Those positive effects may be due to
