title: Effect of increased exercise in school children on physical fitness and endothelial progenitor cells: a prospective randomized trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this prospective, randomized study was to examine whether additional school exercise lessons would result in improved peak oxygen uptake (primary end point) and body mass index-standard deviation score, motor and coordinative abilities, circulating progenitor cells, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (major secondary end points).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven sixth-grade classes (182 children, aged 11.1+/-0.7 years) were randomized to an intervention group (4 classes with 109 students) with daily school exercise lessons for 1 year and a control group (3 classes with 73 students) with regular school sports twice weekly. The significant effects of intervention estimated from ANCOVA adjusted for intraclass correlation were the following: increase of peak o(2) (3.7 mL/kg per minute; 95% confidence interval, 0.3 to 7.2) and increase of circulating progenitor cells evaluated by flow cytometry (97 cells per 1 x 10(6) leukocytes; 95% confidence interval, 13 to 181). No significant difference was seen for body mass index-standard deviation score (-0.08; 95% confidence interval, -0.28 to 0.13); however, there was a trend to reduction of the prevalence of overweight and obese children in the intervention group (from 12.8% to 7.3%). No treatment effect was seen for motor and coordinative abilities (4; 95% confidence interval, -1 to 8) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (0.03 mmol/L; 95% confidence interval, -0.08 to 0.14).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regular physical activity by means of daily school exercise lessons has a significant positive effect on physical fitness (o(2)max). Furthermore, the number of circulating progenitor cells can be increased, and there is a positive trend in body mass index-standard deviation score reduction and motor ability improvement. Therefore, we conclude that primary prevention by means of increasing physical activity should start in childhood.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT00176371.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University of Leipzig, Heart Center, 4289 Leipzig, Germany. waltherc@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: Luise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gaede
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Götz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gelbrich
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leichtle
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erbs
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sonnabend
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fikenzer
authors.forename: Antje
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Körner
authors.forename: Wieland
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kiess
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruegel
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thiery
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schuler
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013177:Sports
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids