Pupil Health & Well-Being — an Education Priority 4 Europe’s Schools By David Morrison

Strength training is a specialised method of conditioning that involves the progressive use of resistance to increase one’ s ability to exert or resist force, or to enhance one’s fitness, health and performance. (UKSCA, NSCA) Sport of Weightlifting is where competitors or individuals attempt to lift maximal amount of weights in competition

Negative Consequences on GROWTH & MATURATION Scientific evidence shows that weight bearing activity such as strength training generates compressive forces that are essential for bone formation and growth. (Rodriguez, 2006; Falk & Eliakim, 2003) High Risk of Injury to the Epiphyseal Plate An appropriately designed and well supervised strength training program presents no greater risk than that of any other sport. In fact there are several scientific evidence showing that strength training can prevent or indirectly reduce the severity of injuries in kids. For eg. Strengthening the rotator cuff and scapular muscles could reduce shoulder over use injuries in sports such as swimming, basket ball and volley ball Till this date, epiphyseal plate fracture has not been reported in any prospective kids resistance training study that adhered to appropriate training guidelines The Question of Safety

Improvements in muscular strength, power production and muscular endurance Increase Neuromuscular performance such as; increase in motor unit recruitment and changes in motor unit coordination leads to improvements in motor skill performance. (Ozmun et al, 1994; Ramsay et al, 1990) Positive alterations in overall body composition, and enhancement in cardiac function in obese children (Naylor et al, 2008; Schwingshandl et al, 1999; Watts et al, 2004) Improvements in perceptual skills, intelligence quotient, verbal tests, mathematics tests, developmental level and academic readiness (Sibley & Etnier, 2003)

Study Aims : Effectiveness of 2 times a week strength training program on Children Participants = 25 boys and girls aged between 8 and 12 with no history of strength training but active with other sports Participants randomly grouped into EXPERIMENTAL & CONTROL All participants were tested before and after for strength, motor performance, flexibility and body composition EXPERIMENTAL group strength trained 2 times a week for 8 weeks in addition to their normal P.E lessons CONTROL group continued with their normal P.E program for 8 weeks Faigenbaum et al, 1993

Test Variables Experimental Group Control Group Strength Ability 74.3% Increase in strength qualities 13% Increase in strength qualities Motor Performance 13.8% Improvements in motor skills 7.7% Improvements in motor skills Flexibility 14.1% Increase in sit and reach score 9.5% Increase in sit and reach score Body Composition 2.3% decrease in body fat1.7% gains in body fat Results indicates participation in strength training program could increase strength abilities and decrease body fat in children aged between 8 and 12yrs

Vega and colleagues researched the Effects of a Circuit Training program on Muscular & Cardiovascular endurance in year olds 72 Children were recruited and randomly grouped into Control and Experimental groups The Experimental Group followed a circuit training program for 8 weeks The Control Group maintained their normal PE and organised sport lessons during the 8 week period All participants were tested for Muscular & Cardiovascular endurance prior to commencement of study Results showed Experimental Group significantly increased both Muscular and Cardiovascular endurance than Control Group indicating the design proposed could be effective for PE classes Vega et al. 2013

Strength Training Programs must be supervised and performed in a controlled environment for it to be safe for Pupils Childhood is the best time to build bone mass and enhance bone structure by participating in weight bearing physical activities Strength training will better prepare pupils to play their sport at a higher level and increase their resistance to injury Strength training can easily be integrated into the PE Setting

Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., & Wathen, D. (2000). Resistance training. In T. R. Baechle & R. W. Earle (Eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (pp ). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Faigenbaum, D. A., Micheli, L. J., Zaichkowsky, L. D., Westcott, W. L., & Fehlandt, A. F (1993). The effects of a twice a week strength trainng program on children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 5, Falk, B. & Eliakim, A. (2003). Resistance training, skeletal muscle and growth. Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews, 1, Mayorga-Vega, D., Viciana, J., & Armando, C. (2013). Effects of a circuit training program on muscular and cardiovascular endurance and their maintenance in school children. Journal of Human Kinetics, 37, Ozmun, J. C., Mikesky, A. E., & Surburg, P. R. (1994) Neuromuscular adaptations following prepubescent strength training. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 26, Sibley, B. A., & Etnier, J. L.(2003). The relationship between physical activity and cognition in children: A meta- Analysis. Pediatric Exercise Science, 15, Chek, P. (1999). The inner unit: A new frontier in abdominal training. International Association of Athletics Federations Technical Quarterly: New Studies in Athletics, 4,

Baechle, T. R., Earle, R. W., & Wathen, D. (2000). Resistance training. In T. R. Baechle & R. W. Earle (Eds.), Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (pp ). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Faigenbaum, D. A., Micheli, L. J., Zaichkowsky, L. D., Westcott, W. L., & Fehlandt, A. F (1993). The effects of a twice a week strength trainng program on children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 5, Falk, B. & Eliakim, A. (2003). Resistance training, skeletal muscle and growth. Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews, 1, Mayorga-Vega, D., Viciana, J., & Armando, C. (2013). Effects of a circuit training program on muscular and cardiovascular endurance and their maintenance in school children. Journal of Human Kinetics, 37, Ozmun, J. C., Mikesky, A. E., & Surburg, P. R. (1994) Neuromuscular adaptations following prepubescent strength training. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 26, Sibley, B. A., & Etnier, J. L.(2003). The relationship between physical activity and cognition in children: A meta- Analysis. Pediatric Exercise Science, 15, Chek, P. (1999). The inner unit: A new frontier in abdominal training. International Association of Athletics Federations Technical Quarterly: New Studies in Athletics, 4,