Benefits of a regular vs irregular rhythm-based training programme on physical fitness and motor skills in obese girls.

PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to examine the impact of a physical exercise programme including rhythmic elements (regular and irregular tempos) on physiological variables, motor skills (MS), and jump performances in obese girls. METHODS: Thirty-six obese girls (age: 10.4 ± 0.9 years, body mass: 58.7 ± 4.0 kg, height: 1.37 ± 0.04 m, body mass index: 31.2 ± 2.1) participated in three weekly physical exercise sessions for 6 weeks, with each session consisting of basic fundamental locomotor movements. The participants were divided into two groups: a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG). CG performed the exercise in a quiet setting (i.e., without rhythmic accompaniment), whereas regular and irregular rhythmic accompaniments were prescribed in EG. The physical exercise programme included three sessions per week for 6 weeks. Each session was composed of three parts: 15 min of warm-up, followed by 40 min of exercises based on basic locomotor movements (i.e., running, hopping, skipping, jumping, leaping, sliding, galloping, throwing, catching, kicking, dribbling, and striking) and then 5 min of stretching. Each exercise was demonstrated by the teacher. Before and after the intervention period, cardiovascular measures (i.e., resting blood pressures, recovery for heart rate and systolic blood pressure, and recovery rate-pressure product) were made and five MS (i.e., running, hopping, leaping, jumping and dribbling) were evaluated in two conditions (i.e., during exercise with regular and irregular tempos). Moreover, performances on vertical jump tests (squat and countermovement jump tests) were measured. RESULTS: EG exhibited greater improvement in MS with a regular tempo (and sometimes an irregular tempo), cardiovascular components, and jump performances. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that physical exercise at various tempos is useful for improving physical fitness, developing MS, and thus probably preventing obesity complications.

Plyometric exercise combined with high-intensity interval training improves metabolic abnormalities in young obese females more so than interval training alone.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 12 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with the effects of 12 weeks of plyometric exercise combined with HIIT (P+HIIT) on anthropometric, biochemical, and physical fitness data in young obese females. Sixty-eight participants (age, 16.6 ± 1.3 y; body mass, 82.8 ± 5.0 kg; body fat, 39.4% ± 3.3%; body mass index z score, 2.9 ± 0.4) were assigned to 1 of 3 groups: HIIT (2 blocks per session of 6-8 bouts of 30-s runs at 100% velocity at peak oxygen uptake, with 30-s active recovery between bouts at 50%velocity at peak oxygen uptake (n = 23)); P+HIIT (2 blocks per session of 3 different 15-s plyometric exercises with 15-s passive recoveries, totaling 2 min for each plyometric exercise + the same HIIT program (n = 26)); or control (no exercise (n = 19)). Anthropometric (body mass, body mass index z score, body fat, lean body mass, and waist circumference), biochemical (plasma glucose, insulin, leptin and adiponectin concentrations, leptin/adiponectin ratio, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)), physical fitness (peak oxygen uptake, velocity at peak oxygen uptake, squat jump, and countermovement jump performances), and energy intake data were collected. Both training programs improved the anthropometric, biochemical, and physical fitness variables. However, the P+HIIT program induced greater improvements than did the HIIT program in lean body mass (+3.0% ± 1.7%), plasma glucose and leptin concentrations (-11.0% ± 4.7% and -23.8% ± 5.8%, respectively), plasma leptin/adiponectin ratio (-40.9% ± 10.9%), HOMA-IR (-37.3% ± 6.2%), and squat jump performance (22.2% ± 7.5%). Taken together, these findings suggest that adding plyometric exercises to a HIIT program may be more beneficial than HIIT alone in obese female adolescents.