Multiprofessional intervention improves health-related physical fitness in adolescents with greater effect on girls compared to boys

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the differences between both boys and girls responses to a multidisciplinary program of obesity treatment on health-related physical fitness. One hundred and sixty three adolescents with excess body weight and aged 10 to 18 years took part in the present study. It was assessed anthropometric parameters, body composition, flexibility, abdominal strength/resistance and cardiorespiratory fitness before and after 16 weeks of a multiprofessional intervention. The multiprofessional intervention was developed by physical educators, nutritionist, psychologist, pediatrician and was focused on motivate eating and exercise changes which could promote positive changes on the parameters analyzed. The intervention was conducted three times per week in which theoretical intervention lasted one hour with physical educators, nutritionist and psychologist and another hour designated to practical interventions of the physical educators in which predominated resistance and aerobic exercise as well as basketball practice. After the intervention, both girls and boys presented significant improvements in BMI, waist and hip circumference, relative and absolute body fat, lean mass, flexibility, strength and resistance in abdominal and cardiorespiratory fitness; however the results were more expressive for girls on waist circumference, body fat (kg), VO2max and abdominal strength/resistance.