title: Strength and agility training in adolescents with Down syndrome: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a proposed strength and agility training program of adolescents with Down syndrome. Ninety-two adolescents were recruited and evenly randomized to two intervention groups (exercise group vs. control group). The mean age for the exercise and the control group was 10.6±3.2 and 11.2±3.5 respectively. The exercise training program consisted of a 5-min treadmill exercise and one 20-min virtual-reality based activity administered three times a week for 6 weeks. Pre- and post-test measures were taken for muscle strength and agility performance. The measured muscle included hip extensor, hip flexor, knee extensor, knee flexors, hip abductors, and ankle plantarflexor. A handheld dynamometer was used to measure the lower extremities muscle strength, and agility performance was assessed by the strength and agility subtests of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition. The exercise group had significant improvements in agility (p=0.02, d=0.80) and muscle strength of all muscle group (all p's<0.05, d=0.51-0.89) assessed in comparison to the control group after the 6-week intervention. Knee muscle groups including both flexors and extensors had the greatest gains among all the muscles measured. A short-term exercise training program used in this study is capable of improving muscle strength and agility performance of adolescents with DS.
authors: Department of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine, Pingtung Christian Hospital, Pingtung, Taiwan.
authors: Hsiu-Ching
authors: HC
authors: Lin
authors: Yee-Pay
authors: YP
authors: Wuang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills; D053580:Muscle Strength; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D055070:Resistance Training; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D063367:Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy