The effects of adiposity, muscular strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, and fatigue on gait biomechanics in overweight and obese children

Physical fitness of Tibetan adolescents at different high altitudes in Tibet, China: A comparative study

OBJECTIVE

High altitude hypoxic environment has a certain negative impact on physical fitness of adolescents. We aimed to understand the physical fitness status of Tibetan adolescents in different high-altitude areas in Tibet, China.

METHODS

Physical fitness items, such as grip strength, standing long jump, sit and reach, 50 m dash, 1000 m run for boys, and 800 m run for girls were tested on 3806 Tibetan adolescents by using stratified whole group sampling method in class units. The mean age of the participants was (15.51 ± 1.69) years for Tibetan males and (15.54 ± 1.69) years for females. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and other methods were used to make cross-sectional comparisons of physical fitness performance of Chinese Tibetan adolescents in different high-altitude regions.

RESULTS

The standing long jump scores of boys (203.37 ± 28.36) were higher than that of girls (152.97 ± 19.46) and the lowest standing long jump scores of adolescents in Shigatse region (166.39 ± 35.04). The highest level of sit and reach was found among boys (10.69 ± 5.34) in Nyingchi and the lowest level of sit and reach was found among girls (8.42 ± 5.84) in Shigatse. Shigatse region adolescents had the lowest performance in 50 m dash (9.09 ± 1.72) while the best performance in 1000 m run (266.23 ± 35.82) and 800 m run (245.40 ± 27.92).

CONCLUSION

There is variability in the physical fitness of Tibetan adolescents in different high-altitude regions of Tibet, China. Targeted physical fitness interventions should be carried out for Tibetan adolescents in different high-altitude regions. The focus should be on improving the endurance quality of Tibetan adolescents in Lhasa and the lower limb muscle strength, flexibility, and speed quality of adolescents in Shigatse.

Assessment of rehabilitation effects in children with mild intellectual disability

Research on effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes continues to investigate impact of therapeutic interventions on various motor parameters in children with intellectual disability (ID). This study compared the effectiveness of rehabilitation, reflected by physical fitness, static balance, and dynamic balance measurements, in children with mild ID. A total of 70 children with mild ID were enrolled for the study and were divided into two equal groups based on their body mass index (BMI) percentile, reflecting obesity or normal weight. Physical fitness was assessed using the Eurofit Special Test, whereas balance was evaluated with single-leg stance and timed up and go tests. The examinations were performed twice: At the beginning and at the end of a six-month therapy programme. Improvements were shown in the muscle strength of the upper limbs (p < 0.001) and lower limbs (p = 0.001), flexibility (p = 0.005), and static balance (p < 0.001) for the entire cohort. The effects of rehabilitation did not differ significantly between the children with obesity and those with a normal weight. These results may be important from the viewpoint of clinical practice and preventive measures, as they present evidence showing that rehabilitation is equally effective in both obese and normal weight children with mild ID. Therefore, these findings may be of assistance to those designing therapeutic programmes in special education centres.