Effect of Increased Exercise in School Children on Physical Fitness and Endothelial Progenitor Cells: A Prospective Randomized Trial

C. Walther, L. Gaede, V. Adams, G. Gelbrich, A. Leichtle, S. Erbs, M. Sonnabend, K. Fikenzer, A. Korner, W. Kiess, M. Bruegel, J. Thiery (+1 others)
2009 Circulation  
Background-The aim of this prospective, randomized study was to examine whether additional school exercise lessons would result in improved peak oxygen uptake (primary end point) and body mass index-standard deviation score, motor and coordinative abilities, circulating progenitor cells, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (major secondary end points). Methods and Results-Seven sixth-grade classes (182 children, aged 11.1Ϯ0.7 years) were randomized to an intervention group (4 classes with
more » ... 09 students) with daily school exercise lessons for 1 year and a control group (3 classes with 73 students) with regular school sports twice weekly. The significant effects of intervention estimated from ANCOVA adjusted for intraclass correlation were the following: increase of peak V O 2 (3.7 mL/kg per minute; 95% confidence interval, 0.3 to 7.2) and increase of circulating progenitor cells evaluated by flow cytometry (97 cells per 1ϫ10 6 leukocytes; 95% confidence interval, 13 to 181). No significant difference was seen for body mass index-standard deviation score (Ϫ0.08; 95% confidence interval, Ϫ0.28 to 0.13); however, there was a trend to reduction of the prevalence of overweight and obese children in the intervention group (from 12.8% to 7.3%). No treatment effect was seen for motor and coordinative abilities (4; 95% confidence interval, Ϫ1 to 8) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.03 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, Ϫ0.08 to 0.14). Conclusions-Regular physical activity by means of daily school exercise lessons has a significant positive effect on physical fitness (V O 2 max). Furthermore, the number of circulating progenitor cells can be increased, and there is a positive trend in body mass index-standard deviation score reduction and motor ability improvement. Therefore, we conclude that primary prevention by means of increasing physical activity should start in childhood. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT00176371.
doi:10.1161/circulationaha.109.865808 pmid:19920000 fatcat:a3ntgomawbfzjdi22b44vrj4yu