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Effects of Exercise Intervention on Health-Related Physical Fitness and Blood Pressure in Preschool Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

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Abstract

Background

No previous systematic review has quantitatively examined the effect of physical exercise interventions on health-related physical fitness and blood pressure in children younger than 6 years old.

Objective

To evaluate the effects of exercise interventions on health-related physical fitness (i.e., physical fitness components and body composition) and blood pressure in preschoolers.

Methods

We searched four databases. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs), evaluating the effectiveness of exercise intervention on weight-related outcomes, blood pressure, and physical fitness components in preschoolers (1–5.99 years old) were included. The effect sizes were reported as Hedges’ g using random-effects models.

Results

A total of 19 RCTs were included. Exercise interventions favored reductions in body mass index (g = − 0.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], − 0.31 to − 0.03), waist circumference (g = − 0.25; 95% CI − 0.47 to − 0.03), and body fat percentage (g = − 0.31; 95% CI − 0.60 to − 0.23); as well as improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness (g = 0.25; 95% CI 0.08–0.42), muscular strength (g = 0.25; 95% CI 0.09–0.40), and speed–agility (g = − 0.51; 95% CI − 0.78 to − 0.24). Blood pressure was not reduced. The subgroup analysis revealed that physical exercise alone favored larger reductions in body mass index and waist circumference compared with physical exercise combined with another intervention. Also, changes in cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-body muscular strength and speed–agility were associated with larger decreases in body composition.

Conclusion

Physical exercise whether combined or not with additional intervention has a small effect on both body weight and physical fitness in preschoolers. Also, it seems that interventions to prevent obesity should be directed towards improving physical fitness of preschoolers.

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Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this review are available on request from the corresponding author (Antonio García-Hermoso).

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank C. A. C. Coloma, for revision of the English text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Navarrabiomed, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra (CHN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

    Antonio García-Hermoso, Robinson Ramírez-Vélez & Mikel Izquierdo

  2. Laboratorio de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y la Salud, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago, Chile

    Antonio García-Hermoso

  3. Department of Health Sciences, Public University of Navarra, CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain

    Alicia M. Alonso-Martinez, Robinson Ramírez-Vélez & Mikel Izquierdo

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  1. Antonio García-Hermoso
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  3. Robinson Ramírez-Vélez
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Correspondence to Antonio García-Hermoso.

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Funding

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this article. Antonio Garcia-Hermoso is a Miguel Servet Fellow (Instituto de Salud Carlos III-CP18/0150).

Conflicts of interest

Antonio Garcia-Hermoso, Alicia M. Alonso-Martinez, Robinson Ramírez-Vélez and Mikel Izquierdo declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this review.

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García-Hermoso, A., Alonso-Martinez, A.M., Ramírez-Vélez, R. et al. Effects of Exercise Intervention on Health-Related Physical Fitness and Blood Pressure in Preschool Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Sports Med 50, 187–203 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01191-w

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