more positive research about strength training and young athletes

Effects of Strength Training on Motor Performance Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis

Pediatric Exercise Science vol 23; 2

pp. 186 – 206 The recent literature delineates resistance training in children and adolescents to be effective and safe. However, only little is known about the transfer of achieved strength gains to athletic performance. The present meta-analysis revealed a combined mean effect size for motor skill types jumping, running, and throwing of 0.52 (95% CI: 0.33–0.71). Effect sizes for each of aforementioned skill types separately were 0.54 (95% CI: 0.34–0.74), 0.53 (95% CI: 0.23–0.83), and 0.99 (95% CI: 0.19–1.79) respectively. Furthermore, it could be shown that younger subjects and nonathletes showed higher gains in motor performance following resistance training than their counterparts and that specific resistance training regimes were not advantageous over traditional resistance training programs. Finally, a positive dose response relationship for “intensity” could be found in subgroups using traditional training regimens. These results emphasize that resistance training provides an effective way for enhancing motor performance in children and adolescents.

Authors: Michael Behringer, Andreas vom Heede, Maria Matthews, Joachim Mester

Childhood Obesity - the Graph doesn't lie

Check it out

Obama helps kids eat healthier

The House of Representatives on December 3 joined the Senate by passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act ending months of deadlock and significantly improving opportunities for low-income students to get healthy, more affordable school meals.

If President Obama signs the bill into law, as expected, there will be $4.5 billion in new child nutrition funding over 10 years and schools will:

• Serve more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
• Get help meeting new standards for healthier school meals.
• Have to follow national nutrition standards for all food sold on school grounds.
• Strengthen their wellness policies.
• Get funding for farm-to-school programs.
• And expand the Afterschool Meal Program to all 50 states.

While valid concerns remain about nutrition and hunger programs for low-income families and crucial work must be done to ensure that Congress and the President restore funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), passage of this bill is a huge victory in the battle to end the epidemic of undernourished and obese children.

new journal on childhood obesity - Free edition

Find it right here