Introduction The problem of excess body weight is becoming an epidemic in the general population, especially among children aged to 12 years old. Efforts are being made to find a way to retreat the unfavorable changes related with obesity. This problem is escalating, and the direction of effective protective actions is not sufficiently recognized. The research presented in this study demonstrate the range of changes in overweight and obese children after an 8 weeks of circuit training program, with simultaneous parental education on modifying their children dietary habits.
Materials and Methods 83 children aged 9-12 participated in the research, including 30 boys and 32 girls in the experimental group, in the control group was 21 participants including 16 boys and 5 girls with excessive body weight assessed according to the OLAF scale. The exercise program was applied to keep from 70% to 90% of their maximum heart rate. The effects of the applied high-intensity circuit training were evaluated in terms of changes in body composition and the cardiovascular system.
Results Significant reductions of body weight (50.76 ± 8.91 kg vs. 50.21 ± 8.88 kg, P<0.01) were observed, assisted with a decrease of visceral fat area (37.43 ± 5.57 cm2 vs. 33.04 ± 5.82 cm2), a decrease BMI (24.16 ± 2.62 kg/m2 vs. 23.38 ± 2.64 kg/m2), a reduction of waist circumference (19.24 ± 5.72 kg vs. 17.82 ± 5.59 kg), resting heart rate (108.18 ± 16.64 mmHg vs. 102.06 ± 21.88 mmHg), heart rate at 3rd minute of rest (103.98 ± 17.04 mmHg vs. 99.94 ± 15.91 mmHg), an increase value of pulse pressure (43.18 ± 13.91 mmHg vs. 47.97 ± 12.16 mmHg), and an increase of skeletal muscle mass (16.65 ± 2.79 kg vs. 17.15 ± 2.94 kg).
Conclusion Our study shows the beneficial effects of a short-term (8-week) exercise program on body composition indicators, including body fat content and skeletal muscle mass, as well as cardiovascular function parameters such as blood pressure and heart rate.