Higher Sedentary Behaviors and Lower Levels of Specific Knowledge Are Risk Factors for Physical Activity-Related Injuries in Saudi Adolescents.

Encouraging physical activity (PA) for adolescents is necessary to achieve and maintain optimal health, but it may increase the risk of PA-related injuries. This study sought to assess the frequency, location, type, and severity of PA-related injuries in Saudi students aged 13 to 18 years and to identify associated risk factors. A total of 402 students, including 206 boys aged 15.87 ± 1.69 years and 196 girls aged 15.83 ± 1.70 years, were randomly assigned to participate in this study. For each participant, height, weight, body mass index, and fat percentage were measured. Responses to a specially designed four-part self-administered questionnaire were also collected. Results revealed that better specific knowledge was associated with a lower likelihood of sustaining injuries (ß = -0.136; p = 0.001) but increased sedentary behaviors were associated with a greater likelihood of sustaining a PA-related injury (ß = 0.358; p = 0.023). Gender, knowledge, and sedentary behaviors were the factors overall associated with a greater likelihood of suffering 1, 2, and 3 or more PA-related injuries. However, gender, fat-free mass, knowledge, and sedentary behaviors were associated overall with a greater likelihood of bruises, strains, fractures, sprains, concussions, and at least two types of PA-related injuries. Collectively, we should pay attention to the PA-related injury problem among middle and high school students, particularly when promoting a physically active lifestyle.

Lower fitness levels, higher fat-to-lean mass ratios, and lower cardiorespiratory endurance are more likely to affect the body mass index of Saudi children and adolescents.

Background: Several studies suggest that health-related physical fitness may play a prominent role in preventing obesity in children and adolescents. Objectives: The present study examined fitness levels using five components of health-related fitness in Saudi students aged 10-17 years (fat-to-lean mass ratio, cardiorespiratory endurance, upper body strength and endurance, abdominal muscle strength and endurance, and flexibility). Subsequently, the association between BMI and a health-related fitness index (HR-PFI) based on the five fitness components was investigated. Methods: The study was conducted on 1,291 students with a mean age of 12.95 ± 1.72 years. Participants included 1,030 boys aged 12.80 ± 1.79 years, with 479 young boys (11.24 ± 0.81b years), and 551 adolescents (14.16 ± 1.21 years). Moreover, the study examined 261 girls averaging 13.54 ± 1.2 years old, with 66 young girls (11.92 ± 0.27 years), and 195 teenage girls (14.09 ± 0.85 years). Each participant's health-related fitness level was assessed by the following tests: Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer (BIA) for body composition, one-mile run/walk test for cardiorespiratory endurance, curl-up test for abdominal muscle strength and endurance (AMSE), push-up test for upper body strength and endurance (UBSE), and back-saver sit-and-reach test for flexibility. Results: The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 10.4 and 24.7% in boys and 10 and 8.4% in girls, respectively. The mean Z-scores of performances decreased from the underweight to the obese groups. BMI was positively associated with the ratio of fat mass to lean mass and negatively associated with cardiorespiratory endurance in the overall group of participants as well as in the subgroups by sex and age categories. BMI was also negatively associated with flexibility and HR-PFI in the total group, UBSE, AMSE, and HR-PFI in prepubertal boys, and UBSE in prepubertal girls. The coefficient of determination values was 0.65 in the total group, 0.72 in prepubertal boys, 0.863 in adolescent boys, 0.956 in prepubertal girls, and 0.818 in adolescent girls. Conclusions: Overall health-related physical fitness, fat-to-lean mass ratio, and cardiorespiratory endurance are the factors that most affect BMI in Saudi students aged 10 to 17.

Physical activity across days of week, video games, and laptop use are more likely to influence weight gain among Saudi Youth.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent and prevalence of daily PA and the sedentary behavior during inactive spare-time among young Saudis and their effect on overweight and obesity. Methods: A total of 357 students completed all stages of this study. They included 282 boys aged 11.95 ± 0.73 years (213 children aged 11.62 ± 0.506 years and 69 adolescents aged 13.16 ± 0.373 years) and 75 girls (16 children aged 11.94 ± 0.236 years and 59 adolescents aged 13.47 ± 0.626 years). For each participant, height and weight were measured, and BMI was calculated. A questionnaire asking about daily PA and sedentary habits during the previous 7 days was also used. Multiple comparisons were performed to test for differences between groups by sex and age category, and stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to determine which variables significantly affected BMI. Results: The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 17.02 and 28.37% in boys and 9.33 and 0% in girls, respectively. The patterns of PA were changing within elements and between sexes. Both groups of boys were more active than girls during breakfast and lunch periods (p < 0.001 for all). A significant difference in favor of boys was also observed between the two groups of boys and the group of adolescent girls regarding after-school physical activity (p < 0.05 for all). Prepubescent boys reported being generally less active during the previous 7 days than their female counterparts and adolescent peers. Sedentary behaviors did not differ between all groups. Playing video games and using laptops were the parameters significantly associated with BMI. Conclusions: This study noted that the prevalence of overweight and obesity was more pronounced in boys than in girls. However, boys were more active but had the same degree of sedentary behavior as girls. Physical activity across the days of weekly, video games, and laptop use were the parameters that most affected BMI.

The Effect of Intensity Soccer Training Sessions on Marked Biochemical Indicators of Blood Acidity of Saudi Young Soccer Players.

Purpose: To assess the effect of low-to-moderate-intensity exercise on specific blood biomarkers and blood acidity in young Saudi Arabian professional soccer players. Methods: A total of 43 professional soccer players participated in the current study. A cross-sectional research method was used to compare the changes in the following blood biomarkers: calcium, magnesium, glucose, anion-gap metabolic acidosis, and carbon dioxide, after a range of low-to-moderate intensity training sessions. Measurements were taken in two soccer training sessions (Day 1, and Day 2). The exercise intensity was estimated by heart rate percentage of maximal heart rate. Wilcoxon signed-rank testing was used to analyze the results. Results: Significant differences were found between and pre-and post-training sessions for anion-gap metabolic acidosis: Day 1: 12.55 vs 15.4 mmol/L; Day 2: 14.15 vs 16.35 mmol/L; and magnesium: Day 1: 0.82 vs 0.74 mmol/L; Day 2: 0.85 vs 0.74 mmol/L. Exercise caused anion-gap metabolic acidosis concentrations to rise post-training; magnesium levels decreased after training sessions on Day 1 and Day 2. Conclusion: The concentrations of anion-gap metabolic acidosis and magnesium were significantly affected by exercise intensity in the subjects, the former rose post-training while the latter fell. More studies are required to investigate the effects of different exercise intensities on other blood biomarkers in soccer players.

Warm-up durations in a hot-dry climate affect thermoregulation, mean power-output and fatigue, but not peak power in specific soccer repeated-sprint ability.

BACKGROUND: This study addressed the lack of data on the effect of warm-up (WU) duration in hot-dry climate (~ 30 °C; ~ 18% RH), on thermoregulation, muscular power-output, and fatigue after specific soccer repeated-sprint test (RSA). METHODS: Eleven amateur soccer players participated in a cross-over randomized study and they underwent the Bangsbo repeated-sprint test, after three WU durations (i.e. WU10, WU15 and WU20 min) at 70% of MAV, and on different days. Peak power (PP), mean power (MP) and the fatigue index (FI) were recorded and analyzed. Likewise, heart rate (HR), tympanic temperature (Ttym), mean body temperature (MBT) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded during each session. RESULTS: The repeated measure ANOVA showed that MP improved after WU15 in comparison to WU10 and WU20 (p = 0.04 and p = 0.001; respectively). Nonetheless, no significant effect on PP was recorded after all WU durations. FI during RSA increased after WU20 in comparison to WU15 and WU10 (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003; respectively). Higher RPE values (p < 0.001) were recorded after WU15 and WU20 in comparison to WU10 duration. The two-way ANOVA showed higher ΔTtym and ΔMBT values after WU15 and WU20 compared to WU10 (p = 0.039 and p < 0.001for Ttym; p = 0.005 and p < 0.001 for MBT, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The WU15 at 70% of MAV better assists mean power-output during soccer RSA in hot-dry (~ 30 °C; 18% RH) climate, but not peak power. Reducing WU duration up to 10 min seems to be insufficient to induce beneficial physiological changes necessary for optimizing repeated-sprint performance, while its extension up to 20 min remains detrimental for muscular power and induces higher fatigue.