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Benefits of a regular vs irregular rhythm-based training programme on physical fitness and motor skills in obese girls

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of the current study was to examine the impact of a physical exercise programme including rhythmic elements (regular and irregular tempos) on physiological variables, motor skills (MS), and jump performances in obese girls.

Methods

Thirty-six obese girls (age: 10.4 ± 0.9 years, body mass: 58.7 ± 4.0 kg, height: 1.37 ± 0.04 m, body mass index: 31.2 ± 2.1) participated in three weekly physical exercise sessions for 6 weeks, with each session consisting of basic fundamental locomotor movements. The participants were divided into two groups: a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG). CG performed the exercise in a quiet setting (i.e., without rhythmic accompaniment), whereas regular and irregular rhythmic accompaniments were prescribed in EG. The physical exercise programme included three sessions per week for 6 weeks. Each session was composed of three parts: 15 min of warm-up, followed by 40 min of exercises based on basic locomotor movements (i.e., running, hopping, skipping, jumping, leaping, sliding, galloping, throwing, catching, kicking, dribbling, and striking) and then 5 min of stretching. Each exercise was demonstrated by the teacher. Before and after the intervention period, cardiovascular measures (i.e., resting blood pressures, recovery for heart rate and systolic blood pressure, and recovery rate-pressure product) were made and five MS (i.e., running, hopping, leaping, jumping and dribbling) were evaluated in two conditions (i.e., during exercise with regular and irregular tempos). Moreover, performances on vertical jump tests (squat and countermovement jump tests) were measured.

Results

EG exhibited greater improvement in MS with a regular tempo (and sometimes an irregular tempo), cardiovascular components, and jump performances.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that physical exercise at various tempos is useful for improving physical fitness, developing MS, and thus probably preventing obesity complications.

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Acknowledgement

We are most grateful to the school’s children and the volunteer physical education teachers who so graciously gave time from their busy schedules, to contribute to the completion of this study over such a time period.

Funding

This study has not been funded.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département des Sciences Biologiques, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia

    Ghazi Racil

  2. Research Laboratory “Sport Performance Optimization”, National Center of Medicine and Sciences in Sport (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia

    Wassim Elmontassar, Imen Rommene & Anis Chaouachi

  3. Laboratory of Biomechanics and Biomaterials Research Applied to Orthopedics, National Institute of Orthopedics, Tunis, Tunisia

    Wassim Elmontassar

  4. Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Centre d’Etudes des Transformations par les Activités Physiques et Sportives, Université de Rouen, Mont-Saint Aignan, France

    Claire Tourny & Jeremy B. Coquart

Authors
  1. Ghazi Racil
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  2. Wassim Elmontassar
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  3. Imen Rommene
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  4. Claire Tourny
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  5. Anis Chaouachi
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  6. Jeremy B. Coquart
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ghazi Racil.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All testing procedures were in line with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent

All volunteered to take part in the study, and each parent or legal guardian signed an informed consent form agreeing to their child’s participation.

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Racil, G., Elmontassar, W., Rommene, I. et al. Benefits of a regular vs irregular rhythm-based training programme on physical fitness and motor skills in obese girls. J Endocrinol Invest 40, 1227–1234 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-017-0689-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40618-017-0689-8

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