ABSTRACT
Overweight and obesity are important public health problems in preschoolers because most eating and physical activity habits are established during childhood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Tehranian preschoolers using different standard criteria and to determine their relation with physical fitness. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 381 preschoolers, aged 5 to 6 years. Anthropometric, health-related and motor fitness tests were assessed in all children. Based on IOTF reference, 7.36% [Cl: 0.037-0.111] and 4.73% [Cl: 0.017-0.078] of boys and 11.51% [Cl: 0.070-0.160] and 10.99% [CI: 0.066-0.154] of girls were overweight and obese, respectively. Significant correlations were found between 20 m sprint test, predicted VO2max and most of the anthropometric indices in boys and between modified sit-ups, predicted VO2max and most of the anthropometric indices in girls. These findings emphasize the relatively high prevalence of overweight and obesity in both sexes and show that overweight and obesity were limiting factors for fitness performance levels. Overweight and obesity were indicative of poor physical fitness in both genders. Overweight and obese children, compared to their underweight and normal-weight counterparts, demonstrate inferior performance in most motor and health-related fitness parameters
ABSTRACT
Supramaximal sprint interval training is an efficient means of improving physical fitness within a short period of time. However the effects of this type of training which cause hormonal and physiological adaptations to increase enhanced aerobic and anaerobic performances, are not well known. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of four weeks of Supramaximal sprint interval training on some hormonal and physiological variables. Fifteen trained wrestlers were randomly assigned into two groups, the experimental [EXP=8] and controls [CON=7] groups. Before and after training, subjects performed [a] a graded exercise test; and [b] four consecutive Wingate tests with 4-min recovery intervals between each. Resting blood samples were collected before and after training. Both groups followed the same wrestling training program for 4 weeks; additionally, the EXP group performed a running-based anaerobic sprint test [RAST] as a Supramaximal sprint interval training protocol for 4 weeks, two sessions per week. The EXP group showed improvements in V02max [+5.4%], Peak power output [34.9%] and Mean Power Output [29.3%] after the training [P<0.05], along with significant increases in total testosterone, total testosterone/cortisol ratio [TCR] and free testosterone/cortisol [FTCR] ratio in the EXP group, but there were no significant differences between groups. Cortisol was tended to decrease in both groups [P>0.05], but none of the variables were changed in the CON group after the training. The current findings suggest that the Supramaximal sprint interval training program with short recovery can increase both aerobic and anaerobic performances. The changes observed in FTCR and TCR suggest exercise training-induced anabolic adaptations