Quantification of physical activity of Malaysian traditional games for school-based intervention among primary school children.

OBJECTIVE: Children's physical activity can be increased by integrating game-based activities, such as traditional games, into physical education sessions. However, the level of physical activity of these games has not been quantified. This study aims to quantify the level of intensity for common Malaysian traditional games (i.e. Galah Panjang, Bola Beracun, Polis Sentri, Belalang Belatuk, Ayam Musang, and Baling Tin) among primary school children aged nine to 11 years (N = 30). METHODS: We used an accelerometer to measure step count, metabolic equivalent task, level of intensity and vector magnitude during 20 min playing sessions. The playing space was standardised for each game to the size of a badminton court (i.e. 13.4 m in length and 6.1 m in width). RESULTS: The results showed that three traditional Malaysian games, namely Galah Panjang, Bola Beracun and Baling Tin, fulfilled the requirements to be classified as moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity in terms of step count, metabolic equivalent task, heart rate and motions in all planes. CONCLUSION: This study shows that playing traditional games for 20 min can increase physical activity among primary school students.

Subjective Perception of Sports Performance, Training, Sleep and Dietary Patterns of Malaysian Junior Muslim Athletes during Ramadan Intermittent Fasting.

PURPOSE: To examine the subjective perception of daily acute fasting on sports performance, training, sleep and dietary patterns of Muslim athletes during the Ramadan month. METHODS: Seven hundred and thirty-four (411 male and 323 female) Malaysian Junior-level Muslim athletes (mean age 16.3 ± 2.6 y) participated in the survey which was designed to establish the personal perception of their sport performance, sleep pattern, food and fluid intake during Ramadan fasting. The survey was conducted during and immediately after the month of Ramadan in 2009. RESULTS: Twenty-four percent of the athletes perceived that there was an adverse effect of the Ramadan fast on their sporting performance and 29.3% reported that quality of training during Ramadan was also negatively influenced. Majority (48.2%) of the athletes stated that Ramadan fasting did not affect their normal sleep pattern but 66.6% of them complained of sleepiness during the daytime. Half of the athletes (41.4%) maintained the caloric intake during Ramadan as they normally would with the majority of them (76.2%) reporting that they consumed more fluids during Ramadan. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, Malaysian Junior-level Muslim athletes showed diverse views in their perception of changes in their training, sleep and dietary patterns during Ramadan fast. These individual differences probably indicate differences in the athletes' adaptability and coping strategies during fasting and training in Ramadan.