6-10 year-old’s physical progress versus physical activity rating study

ˑ: 

Dr. Biol. T.F. Abramova1
PhD T.M. Nikitina1
A.V. Polfuntikova1
A.V. Malinin2
1Federal Science Center for Physical Culture and Sport (FRS VNIIIFK), Moscow
2St. Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture, St. Petersburg

Keywords: unsporting children, footballers, 6-10 year-olds, physical development, physical fitness, sport training.

Background. As things now stand, beginner ages for the sport trainings specified by the relevant Federal Sport Training Standards [10]. Thus the 9/10 year-olds are qualified for trainings in 17/16 Olympic sport disciplines, respectively; 7/8 year-olds qualified for 10/ 8 disciplines, respectively; and the 6/11/12 year-olds may qualify, on an exceptional basis, for the beginner trainings in 5/2/1 disciplines, respectively.
The 6-10 year-olds’ physical activity standard is set at 1.5 hours per week for preschoolers; and 2 hours and 15 minutes for primary school children [7, 8]; whilst the sport training volume for every sport discipline is limited by 6 hours per week. It should be noted that the physical training programs in the general education system and sport training system are different. The physical education service in the preschool system is designed to help children master the key motor skills, whilst the physical education service mission at elementary school is to further excel the key motor skills and abilities with an attention to the natural gifts; and the beginner sport training system prioritizes basics of the sport-specific motor skills. The school physical education toolkit (team sports and traditional physical trainings) is complemented in the sport training system by the sport-specific technical training methods [7, 8, 10].
The beginner sport training volumes and contents are by far in excess of the school physical education standards. The mismatch in the school physical education and sport training systems effectively limits the efforts to harmonize the 6-10 year-olds’ physical progress (rated by physical development and physical fitness tests) since the unsporting age group’s physical activity is rather poor as compared with the sporting peer groups [6]. These physical training deficiencies were lately addressed by the Presidential instructions to the RF Government of March 27, 2019 “On the relationship, continuity and unified practical provisions for the sport training and general physical education and sports programs with elements of sport training” that require, among other things, new children’s (for the 2-plus year-olds) early physical training centers being established in the country [5].
Objective of the study was to rate the 6-10 year-olds’ physical progress (physical development and physical fitness) versus the categorized physical activity.
Methods and structure of the study. We developed the physical development / physical fitness test program in harmony with the valid GTO Complex Test standards and the preschool and secondary school (elementary grades) physical education standards [3, 9]. Physical progress under the study was rated by anthropometry, caliperometry, somatoscopy, physiometry, pulsometry, tonometry, educational surveys and descriptive statistics tools, followed by a test data correlation analysis [1, 2, 4]. We rated the physical development by body length and mass, chest size, arm and leg sizes (circumference), skin-fat folds; postural control test, VC (exhale volume), heart rate (HR), blood pressure and carpal strength tests; and the physical fitness was rated by 10-3m shuttle sprint, standing long jump, 6m run and the frontal bent (flexibility rating) tests. We used the following equipment: anthropometer, Lange caliper, scales, metering tape; blood pressure monitor, stopwatch and spirometer.
We sampled for the study the 6-10 years old unsporting boys (n=150) from a few preschool establishments and schools (Golitsynsky secondary school No. 1, Kindergarten No. 36, Kindergarten No. 20) and 6-10 year old beginner footballers (n=103) with the ST experiences of 8 months to 1.5 years (Moscow Football Academy; CYORSS, Lyubertsy). The 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10 year old unsporting groups were composed of 26/ 28/ 32/ 39/ 25 people; and the beginner footballers’ groups of 17/ 14/ 27/ 19/ 26 people, respectively. The study was run in compliance with the valid rules of bioethics, on a written consent from the families.
Results and discussion. The 6-10 year-olds’ sporting versus unsporting group physical fitness / physical development versus categorized physical activity rating tests found in the sporting groups normal body masses and BMI, lower fat rates, higher muscle mass (MM), higher vital capacity (VC) and lower heart rate on average; with a higher incidence of increased blood pressure, better flexibility, speed, strength, and better movement coordination qualities; whilst their unsporting peers were tested prone to overweight and obesity, low MM, postural disorders, uneconomical cardiovascular system (CVS) functionality (higher heart rate and lower blood pressure): see Tables 1-4.

Table 1. Anthropometric characteristics and functionality test rates: unsporting 6-10 year-old groups

Test rates

6 year-olds

7 year-olds

8 year-olds

9 year-olds

10 year-olds

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

Age

6,1

0,3

7,0

0,4

8,0

0,2

9,0

0,3

10,1

0,3

Body length, cm

119,5

4,5

123,4

4,9

130,1

7,7

136,3

5,7

139,3

7,3

Body mass, kg

22,1

3,6

25,1

5,1

29,5

7,0

32,3

7,1

35,1

9,6

BMI, кg/m2

15,4

1,8

16,4

2,5

17,2

2,9

17,2

2,9

17,6

3,4

Chest size, cm

58,5

3,7

61,3

5,9

64,8

7,8

66,8

6,7

68,2

7,9

Excursion, cm

4,5

1,0

4,8

1,5

4,5

1,1

5,0

1,3

5,2

1,5

Muscle mass, %

41,2

4,1

42,6

2,7

41,3

4,0

42,0

2,7

41,4

3,1

Fat mass, %

16,5

5,6

17,4

6,9

22,0

9,8

23,0

8,4

25,9

10,9

HR, beats/ min

88

12,2

95

15,7

96

14,0

86

10,4

89

9,4

SBP, mmHg

102

8,6

107

7,7

102

10,6

104

10,8

102

12,3

DBP, mmHg

66

10,1

67

8,6

64

9,6

65

8,6

59

8,2

VC, liter

1,50

0,20

1,63

0,24

1,88

0,29

1.95

0,28

2,06

0,28

Note: SBP systolic blood pressure, DBP diastolic blood pressure, VC vital capacity, BMI body mass index, * р = 0.05; ** р = 0.01 for the sporting/ unsporting group difference

Table 2. Anthropometric characteristics and functionality test rates: sporting 6-10 year-old groups

Test rates

6 year-olds

7 year-olds

8 year-olds

9 year-olds

10 year-olds

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

Age

6,0

0,36

7,0

0,28

8,0

0,28

9,0

0,29

10,4

0,67

Body length, cm

118,6

5,42

121,8

3,11

129,9

5,99

135,0

7,02

140,4

9,70

Body mass, kg

21,4

2,72

22,1*

1,01

27,0

4,93

30,6

6,91

33,0

6,34

BMI, кg/m2

15,1

1,06

14,9*

0,57

15,9*

1,84

16,6

2,39

16,6

1,76

Chest size, cm

58,3

2,30

58,2

1,40

62,6

4,24

66,1

6,31

67,2

4,31

Excursion, cm

4,8

0,66

5,0

0,60

5,6**

1,26

6,0*

1,11

6,3*

2,17

Muscle mass, %

43,3

1,57

43,2

1,89

44,4**

2,09

43,5*

2,16

45,2**

2,74

Fat mass, %

13,0*

2,84

12,8*

2,32

15,3**

5,55

18,2*

6,82

17,1**

5,02

HR, beats/ min

74**

5,9

72**

6,5

77**

8,5

75**

8,0

78**

7,6

SBP, mmHg

105

6,4

106

8,9

110**

5,6

110*

7,1

113**

8,0

DBP, mmHg

68

9,5

69

7,7

67

6,3

72*

5,9

72**

8,9

VC, liter

1,65*

0,24

1,86*

0,25

2,08*

0,23

2,17*

0,26

2,43**

0,46

Note: SBP systolic blood pressure, DBP diastolic blood pressure, VC vital capacity, BMI body mass index, * р = 0.05; ** р = 0.01 for the sporting/ unsporting group difference

Table 3. Physical fitness test rates: unsporting 6-10 year-old groups

Test rates

6 year-olds

7 year-olds

8 year-olds

9 year-olds

10 year-olds

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

Carpal strength, kg

6,8

1,7

7,4

1,5

9,0

2,2

10,7

2,2

11,8

2,81

Carpal strength, %

31,0

7,8

30,0

6,0

31,4

7,3

33,9

6,4

34,9

9,03

3х10m shuttle sprint, s

11,4

1,1

11,0

1,0

10,4

1,1

9,4

0,8

9,7

0,92

Standing long jump, cm

107

17,1

110

20,9

120

21,6

137

20,8

130

17,9

Flexibility, cm

-1,0

4,3

-0,9

7,7

-1,0

7,2

1,1

5,8

-2,2

7,41

6-min run, m

-

-

1025

160

1049

124

1108

114

1039

144

Table 4. Physical fitness test rates: sporting 6-10 year-old groups

Test rates

6 year-olds

7 year-olds

8 year-olds

9 year-olds

10 year-olds

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

X

σ

Carpal strength, kg

6,3

1,3

8,1

0,87

10,1*

1,5

11,4

3,3

13,2

3,4

Carpal strength, %

29,7

5,5

36,7**

4,9

37,9*

6,7

37,9**

8,7

40,2

8,4

3х10m shuttle sprint, s

10,3**

1,0

9,4**

0,54

9,2**

0,59

8,76**

0,38

8,54**

0,70

Standing long jump, cm

106

14,5

121

11,4

132*

16,9

143

16,1

153**

21,4

Flexibility, cm

4,3**

4,3

3,8*

3,4

4,2**

2,5

3,4

5,5

3,1**

3,9

6-min run, m

1007

88,3

1079

54,7

1082

77,4

1139

97,6

1091

235,5

The physical fitness / physical development correlation analysis found the highest influence of the physical development rates on the physical fitness aspects in the 8 and 9 year old unsporting groups and the lowest in the 6 and 7 year old groups. Age-specific physical training priorities were found to influence the actual physical development rates as follows: carpal strength for the 6 year-olds; limb strength plus movement coordination, speed and flexibility for the 7 year-olds; endurance trainings for the 8 and 9 year-olds; and again carpal strength for the 10 year-olds, with a special attention to the physical progress synchronizing with the body growth and physical fitness rates. It should also be emphasized that the age group specific physical progress may be hampered by overweight.
In the footballers’ groups, the physical development / physical fitness synchronization peak was achieved at 6 years of age, with the lowest synchronization fixed at 7 years of age followed by a gradual growth from 8 to 10 years of age. The widest gap in the physical development and physical fitness rates of the sporting and unsporting groups was fixed for the 6 year-olds – that may be due to the outflow of the most physically fit children in the sport groups.
The 7-year-old unsporting groups were tested with the logical physical fitness correlation with the physical development due the natural growth processes; whilst the sporting peers were tested with a negative correlation of the carpal strength with the lower limb muscle strength – that may be due to the special emphasis on the technical aspects in their trainings. The sporting groups were also tested with some physical qualities being correlated with the physical development rates, namely; speed and movement coordination, flexibility, limb strength and endurance for the 6 year-olds; arm strength for the 7 year-olds; carpal strength, lower limb strength, endurance (to a lesser extent), speed and movement coordination (rated by the shuttle sprint test) for the 8 year-olds; and limb strength, speed and coordination for the 9 and 10 year-olds.
Conclusion. The study data and analysis of the 6-10 year-olds’ physical progress (physical development and physical fitness) versus the categorized physical activity showed benefits of the sporting lifestyle for the physical progress. It was found that the physical development / physical fitness growth profiles in the age group vary depending on the physical activity volume and categories. The physical progress and growth process logics demonstrated benefits of the active physical trainings starting since 6 years of age to facilitate and harmonize progress of the of the main bodily systems (CVS, vegetative nervous system, respiratory system and musculoskeletal system). This age group is recommended beginner sports trainings and other physical training systems, conditional on a special priority still given to the traditional physical conditioning trainings prudently combined with the elementary sport-specific technical skill mastering trainings by 8 years of age and more technical and intensive sports trainings since 9 years of age.

References
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Corresponding author: rudra54@yandex.ru

Abstract
Currently, the age of initial athletic training is governed by the Federal Standards for athletic training. We studied the effects of motor activity on the levels of physical development and physical fitness of the 6-10 year-old children. The comparative analysis of the morphological and functional indicators (body size, muscle and fat mass, heart rate, blood pressure, vital capacity) and the level of development of physical qualities (speed, coordination, strength, endurance and flexibility) and their correlation in 150 non-sporting children, and 103 junior football players of 6-10 years of age revealed the positive impact of sports on the physical development and physical fitness 6-10 years olds. The peculiarities of heterochrony and synchronization of growth and development processes objectively indicate that it is advisable to start sports activities at the age of 6 years with an emphasis on body conditioning in order to harmoniously develop the functions of the main life support systems (cardiovascular and autonomic nervous systems, respiratory and musculoskeletal system); sports activities at the stage of initial athletic training, provided that the priority of the body conditioning means and methods is preserved and the components of technical training are introduced – at the age of 8; more specialized training at the stage of initial athletic training – at the age of 9 and above.