Concurrent resistance and aerobic training follow a detraining period in elementary school students

• Author(s): Santos, Albano Paulo Jorge Fernandes Rodrigues dos
• Date: 2011
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/2329
• Origin: uBibliorum
• Subject(s): Contexto escolar; Treino desportivo
• Document Type: Doctoral thesis
• Language: English
• Advisor(s): Marques, Mário António Cardoso; Marinho, Daniel Almeida
• Contributor(s): uBibliorum

Description

Students involved in physical education classes often perform strength and aerobic training concurrently in an effort to achieve specific adaptations to both forms of training. However, the scientific literature has produced inconclusive results. Additionally, interruptions in training process because holidays are normal situations in school context. This recess can produce a children’s performance loss. Nevertheless, the detraining period and its consequences are not well reported in sports literature, and namely during puberty. This is important since the period of strength training cessation can produce a positive delay transformation rebound in sports specific performance, which is determinant on school performance evaluation of the student. Therefore, the general objectives of this thesis were to analyze the effects of strength training alone and concurrent strength and aerobic training on strength and aerobic performances on a large sample of healthy school subjects; and to assess the effects of a detraining period on strength, power and aerobic performances. To test our hypothesis we set 5 studies: 1 study review and 4 experimental studies. One hundred and nine healthy children (42 boys, 67 girls) recruited from a Portuguese public high school were randomly assigned into two experimental groups (8 weeks training program) and one control group as follows: one group performing strength training only (GR); another group performing combined strength and aerobic training (GCOM); and the third was the control group (GC, no training program). All sample subjects attended physical education classes twice a week. Strength and aerobic parameters were assessed prior and after a training program period and post a detraining period as well. From pre- to post-training period GCOM’s subjects did not take advantage over GR’s subjects in jumps, running speed and balls throwing tests. VO2max increased significantly in GCOM and remained unchanged in both GC (except for girls) and GR groups. Concurrent training is an effective, well-rounded exercise program that can be set up as a means to improve initial or general strength in healthy school non-adult population; training program effects persists even at the end of detraining period. Future researches should examine the interference effects arising from the order of strength and aerobic training exercises program on strength enhancement.