METHODS The results of recent systematic review s are discussed and supplemented with relevant literature not included in these review s. PubMed was search ed for the years 2006 - 2011 for additional topics not sufficiently covered by the review s. RESULTS PA was associated with lower blood pressure and a healthier lipid blood profile in children .
The association was stronger when a composite risk factor score was analysed , and the associations between physical fitness and cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk factors were even stronger .
Muscle strength and endurance exercise each had an effect on blood lipids and insulin sensitivity even if the effect was smaller for muscle strength than for aerobic exercise .
New evidence suggests possible effects of PA  on C-reactive protein .
CONCLUSION There is accumulating evidence that PA can have beneficial effects on the risk factors of CVD in children .
BACKGROUND A number of recent systematic review s have result ed in changes in international recommendations for children 's participation in physical activity ( PA ) for health .
The World Health Authority ( WHO ) has recently released new recommendations .
The WHO still recommends 60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) , but also emphasises that these minutes should be on top of everyday physical activities .
Everyday physical activities total around 30 min of MVPA in the quintile of the least active children , which means that the new recommendations constitute more activity in total compared with earlier recommendations .
OBJECTIVE To summarise evidence justifying new PA recommendation for cardiovascular health in children .
Outcomes of a field trial to improve children's dietary patterns and physical activity. The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health. CATCH collaborative group.
OBJECTIVE To assess the outcomes of health behavior interventions , focusing on the elementary school environment , classroom curricula , and home programs , for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease . DESIGN A r and omized , controlled field trial at four sites with 56 intervention and 40 control elementary schools . Outcomes were assessed using prer and omization measures ( fall 1991 ) and follow-up measures ( spring 1994 ) . PARTICIPANTS A total of 5106 initially third- grade students from ethnically diverse background s in public schools located in California , Louisiana , Minnesota , and Texas . INTERVENTION Twenty-eight schools participated in a third- grade through fifth- grade intervention including school food service modifications , enhanced physical education ( PE ) , and classroom health curricula .  Twenty-eight additional schools received these components plus family education . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES At the school level , two primary end points were changes in the fat content of food service lunch offerings and the amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the PE programs . At the level of the individual student , serum cholesterol change was the primary end point and was used for power calculations for the study . Individual level secondary end points included psychological factors , recall measures of eating and physical activity patterns , and other physiologic measures . RESULTS In intervention school lunches , the percentage of energy intake from fat fell significantly more ( from 38.7 % to 31.9 % ) than in control lunches ( from 38.9 % to 36.2%)(P<.001 ) . The intensity of physical activity in PE classes during the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health ( CATCH ) intervention increased significantly in the intervention schools compared with the control schools ( P<.02 ) . Self-reported daily energy intake from fat among students in the intervention schools was significantly reduced ( from 32.7 % to 30.3 % ) compared with that among students in the control schools ( from 32.6 % to 32.2%)(P<.001 ) . Intervention students reported significantly more daily vigorous activity than controls ( 58.6 minutes vs 46.5 minutes ; P<.003 ) . Blood pressure , body size , and cholesterol measures did not differ significantly between treatment groups . No evidence of deleterious effects of this intervention on growth or development was observed . CONCLUSION The CATCH intervention was able to modify the fat content of school lunches , increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in PE , and improve eating and physical activity behaviors in children during 3 school years
METHODS The results of recent systematic review s are discussed and supplemented with relevant literature not included in these review s. PubMed was search ed for the years 2006 - 2011 for additional topics not sufficiently covered by the review s. RESULTS PA was associated with lower blood pressure and a healthier lipid blood profile in children .
The association was stronger when a composite risk factor score was analysed , and the associations between physical fitness and cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk factors were even stronger .
Muscle strength and endurance exercise each had an effect on blood lipids and insulin sensitivity even if the effect was smaller for muscle strength than for aerobic exercise .
New evidence suggests possible effects of PA  on C-reactive protein .
CONCLUSION There is accumulating evidence that PA can have beneficial effects on the risk factors of CVD in children .
BACKGROUND A number of recent systematic review s have result ed in changes in international recommendations for children 's participation in physical activity ( PA ) for health .
The World Health Authority ( WHO ) has recently released new recommendations .
The WHO still recommends 60 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) , but also emphasises that these minutes should be on top of everyday physical activities .
Everyday physical activities total around 30 min of MVPA in the quintile of the least active children , which means that the new recommendations constitute more activity in total compared with earlier recommendations .
OBJECTIVE To summarise evidence justifying new PA recommendation for cardiovascular health in children .