Group sports improve body composition , cardiorespiratory endurance , and h and grip strength of overweight/obese youth .
Flexibility and neuromotor fitness do not seem to change following group sports
Group sports interventions have been developed to improve health-related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth .
However , its benefits are not systematic ally documented .
This study synthesizes the evidence about the effects of group sports on health-related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth .
Football to tackle overweight in children.
The present study aim ed at analyzing the efficacy of a 6-month football training program compared with a st and ard exercise program on health and fitness parameters in overweight children . The study design was a 6-month , two-arm , parallel-group r and omized trial . Twenty-two overweight children were r and omly assigned to two groups ( age=10.8+/-1.2 years , height=1.56+/-0.08 m , weight= 65.1+/-11.4 kg ) . One group conducted a football training program , and the other group an established st and ard sports program . Both interventions took place three times per week from mid-May to mid-November . Before , after 3 months and after the training period , comprehensive testing was conducted : anthropometric characteristics , cycling ergometry , psychometric monitoring as well as several motor ability tests . Maximal performance capacity increased and submaximal heart rate during cycling ergometry decreased significantly . Several motor skills as well as self-esteem also improved considerably . Body composition and other psychometric variables remained nearly unchanged . No relevant differences were observed between both exercise programs . It can be concluded that a 6-month football training is as efficacious in improving the physical capacity , health-related fitness parameters and self-esteem of overweight children as a st and ard exercise program . These results provide further evidence that playing football has significant health effects
Group sports improve body composition , cardiorespiratory endurance , and h and grip strength of overweight/obese youth .
Flexibility and neuromotor fitness do not seem to change following group sports
Group sports interventions have been developed to improve health-related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth .
However , its benefits are not systematic ally documented .
This study synthesizes the evidence about the effects of group sports on health-related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth .