engleski

TWELVE WEEKS OF GAME-BASED SCHOOL INTERVENTION IMPROVES PHYSICAL FITNESS IN 12-14 YEARS OLD CHILDREN

The level of physical fitness among children of young age has significantly reduced over the years. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 12-week gamebased school intervention on physical fitness in adolescents. Sixty-four adolescents from different school classes were included in the study, of whom 32 (age: 12.7±0.6 years) went to a game-based training group and 32 (age: 12.8±0.5 years) to a control group that maintained their usual physical education (PE) activities. The test battery consisted of anthropometric measurements (body height, body mass, BMI), and a number of physical fitness tests (vertical jump, standing long jump, throwing medicine ball and bent arm hang). A game-based training program was applied during the PE classes under the supervision of assistants. One session of game-based training included combination of small-sided games from football, basketball, handball and volleyball. Each station consisted of playing different sport lasting from 8 to 10 minutes. No significant changes were observed in both groups for body mass and BMI after the training intervention. However, after the training intervention, game-based group showed significant (p<0.05) improvements in all the parameters analysed, vertical jump (p=0.01), standing long jump (p=0.01) medicine ball throw (p=0.01), and bent arm hang (p=0.01), compared to the control group. The present study mainly aimed to evaluate the fitness effects of school game-based intervention program compared with an established standard PE programme in school children. The results indicate that in comparison with normal PE classes, game-based training resulted in an improvement of physical fitness in school children. There were no changes in body weight status, which could be due to a very short program the students were involved in.

mall-sided games, adolescents, class, effects

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