A team of scholars at the Schools of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso leads a pioneer investigation that analyzes the relationship between physical performance, body composition and bone health in the school population. This is the Fondecyt Initiation project “Relationship between the mechanical parameters of muscle power of inferior members, power of higher members, sprint ability and geometry and bone mineral density in students with or without obesity: The FitBone Study”.
The study, known as the FitBone Study, is led by scholars Júlio Mello and Oscar Achiardi, and is funded by the National Research and Development Agency (ANID, for its name in Spanish).
The main objective of the research is to determine how factors such as physical performance, body composition and bone health in girls, boys and teenagers with or with no obesity, relate to one another, and in addition, to evaluate the impact of physical exercise on these variables.
“The focus is placed on the population of tomorrow. If we do not address obesity at a younger age, it is highly probable that these kids will become adults with musculoskeletal and cardiovascular diseases and important functional limitations”, Oscar Achiardi explained.
The research is framed in a worrisome context: Chile presents high rates of obesity and child obesity. According to data observed in the region, more than 80% fifth grade students present some degree of malnutrition due to excess.
“We know that obesity is a global problem, but in Chile it reaches particularly elevated rates, especially in child population. This significantly increases the risk for diseases in adulthood”, Achiardi warned.
How are bone health and performance measured
The study considers three main variable groups. The first one is body composition, evaluated through a bone densitometry (DEXA), which allows to analyze bone mineral density, muscle mass and adipose tissue.
Next, field tests are applied such as jumping, throwing, sprint speed and grip strength. Finally, evaluations are performed at the Biomechanics and Human Movement Research Lab at the PUCV, where movement patterns are analyzed in detail, as well as the forces involved in gestures such as jumps and landings.
One of the main findings of the study points to the fact that the body mass index is not enough to understand the health condition of girls and boys.
“We identify that body composition, this is the proportion between muscle mass and fatty mass, is even more relevant than overall weight. There are children with normal weight, but with high levels of body fat and low muscle mass, which affects their physical performance”, Achiardi mentioned.
Along the same line, the team has observed the presence of sarcopenic obesity in child population, a condition characterized by low muscle mass and high adiposity.
“A relevant finding is that these children present different movement patterns, especially in ankles and knees, which exposes them to greater injury risk, especially in high-impact activities such as jumping or running”, the researcher explained.
Participation and projections
The study sample includes school-aged children between 10 and 14 years of age from schools in Placilla, Curauma and Viña del Mar, in addition to high school students that participated of an intervention phase with planned physical training.
In the next stages, the team will expand their research with training programs in different age groups, evaluating its effects in periods of 4, 8 and 12 weeks, and considering age and sex as variables.
The results of the FitBone Study reassert the need for promoting physical activity from a young age and with a structured approach.
“Physical exercise should be a mandatory aspect of education in Chile, from a very young age, and it should also be planned and personalized. It is not enough to promote physical activity, it has to be done well”, Achiardi emphasized.
The researcher concluded that the evidence obtained contributes a new argument to strengthen public policies in education and health. “Bone health in children is directly related to their future quality of life. What we do today will determine how our next generations age”.
By Camila Rojas
Strategic Communication Department
