Comparison of Aerobic Training and Circuit Training in Healthy Children

NCT06943300 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: REC/RCR/AHS/25/aniqa asif
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 28
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Childhood obesity is a growing concern, with potential consequences for long-term health. The number of obese children has increased more than tenfold in the last forty years. Over the course of their lifetimes, more and more young people worldwide will be exposed to obesity, which will hasten the onset of type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, and cardiovascular problems. Promoting physical activity in children is crucial for maintaining a healthy weight and improving overall well-being. Less than 30% of kids and teenagers worldwide fulfill the recommended daily minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity. Since that most children and adolescents spend a significant amount of time traveling to and from school or attending school, schools may be the best places for interventions. This project will investigate the effectiveness of two common exercise approaches, aerobic training and circuit training, on body mass index (BMI), physical fitness, and quality of life in healthy children. A randomized controlled trial will be conducted, recruiting healthy children within a specific age range 8-12. This study will be conducted in the Leader's Lyceum School.Two experimental groups will be made. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an aerobic training group or a circuit training group. Non-probability convenient sampling technique will be used. The study will include the children from age 8 to 12, both genders, healthy children. Both programs will be implemented for a set duration of 12 weeks, with specific parameters regarding intensity, duration, and exercise types. The project will assess changes in BMI, physical fitness components (e.g., cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility), and quality of life through validated measures, including Pediatric Quality of Life Generic Score 4.0 (PedsQL), Physical Fitness Test, Presidential Fitness test and BMI.

Conditions

Healthy Population

Keywords

Obesity; Physical Activity; Aerobic Training; Circuit Training; Body Mass Index; Quality of Life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Pediatric Quality of Life Generic Score 4.0 (PedsQL)

  The PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales is a standardized tool used to measure health-related quality of life in children aged 2 to 18 years, through self-report and parent proxy-report. It includes 23 items across four domains-physical, emotional, social, and school functioning. Items are rated on a 5-point scale and converted to scores from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better quality of life.The PedsQL 4.0 has demonstrated high reliability, with Cronbach's alpha values typically above 0.70 for subscales and \>0.90 for the total score. It also shows strong validity, effectively distinguishing between healthy children and those with chronic conditions, and is sensitive to changes over time-making it a reliable and valid tool for assessing pediatric quality of life.

  Baseline, 4th week, 8th week, 12th week

• Physical Fitness Test

  A physical fitness test evaluates key components of fitness such as cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. It helps assess overall physical health and performance. When standardized and properly administered, these tests are generally considered valid (accurately measure fitness components) and reliable (produce consistent results over time).

  Baseline, 4th week, 8th week, 12th week

• Presidential Fitness Test

  The Presidential Fitness Test was a U.S. school-based program designed to assess children's physical fitness through activities like sit-ups, push-ups, a mile run, and flexibility tests. It aimed to promote health and fitness in youth. It has moderate to good reliability and validity for measuring specific fitness components like strength and endurance. It was generally consistent when properly administered, but less valid as a health-focused tool due to its emphasis on performance over personal progress.

  Baseline, 4th week, 8th week, 12th week

• Body Mass Index

  The BMI chart classifies individuals based on their body mass index (BMI) into categories like underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity. While valid for large population assessments, it doesn't directly measure body fat and may misclassify individuals, such as athletes or older adults. It's reliable for general screening, but additional measures are needed for a more accurate assessment of individual health.

  Baseline, 4th week, 8th week, 12th week

Study Arms (2)

Group A

EXPERIMENTAL

Group A: Experiment Group A (aerobic Group); Children will receive Aerobic training.

Other: Aerboic Training; Other: Circuit Training

Group B

EXPERIMENTAL

Group B: Experiment Group B (circuit group); Children will receive Circuit training.

Other: Aerboic Training; Other: Circuit Training

Interventions

Aerboic Training OTHER

Group A will perform Aerobic training exercises will be conducted 2 times per 12 weeks in which the warm up phase for 10 minutes. 30 minutes of aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, cycling, calisthenics, rhythmic exercises, continuous slow running, sit ups and cool down phase for stretching Phase 1: stretching of upper limb, trunk, lower limb muscles for 10 minutes. Phase 2: Individualized walking, jogging, cycling, rhythmic exercises, continuous slow running, sit ups Phase 3: Cool down exercise for 10 minutes.

Group A; Group B

Circuit Training OTHER

The training program will consist of 10 types of resistance and aerobic exercise and will be done 2 times per week for 12 weeks. Specifically, the resistance exercise program comprises of push-up, squat, crunches, lunge and superman exercise. An aerobic exercise program comprises of light jumping, running on the spot, foot stamping, stepping and jumping jack. Phase 1: In Warm up period, dynamic stretching for 10 minutes. Phase 2: Resistance and aerobic exercise (push-up, squat, crunches, lunge and superman exercise, light jumping, running on the spot, foot stamping, stepping and jumping jack) Phase 3: In cool down period, static stretching for 10 minutes.

Group A; Group B

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 8 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• ⦁ School Age Children from age 7-12 years
• Both Genders, Male and Female
• Healthy and fit children
• Interventions should be given inside the premises of school
• Children with normal range BMI: 13.3-24.1
• Children with presidential fitness score at or above the 85th percentile
• Children with Quality of Life score: minimum 50

You may not qualify if:

• ⦁ Any Children havig any mental condition: Depession or Anxiety
• Visual, vestibular, or balance disorders in the preceding six months
• Children with any orthotic devices
• Children undertaking any previous aerobic or circuit training
• Refusal of any child or parent to participate

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Related Publications (1)

• Ahmadi A, Moheb-Mohammadi F, Navabi ZS, Dehghani M, Heydari H, Sajjadi F, Khodarahmi S. The effects of aerobic training, resistance training, combined training, and healthy eating recommendations on lipid profile and body mass index in overweight and obese children and adolescents: A randomized clinical trial. ARYA Atheroscler. 2020 Sep;16(5):226-234. doi: 10.22122/arya.v16i5.1990.

  PMID: 33889189 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obesity; Motor Activity

Interventions

Circuit-Based Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Physical Conditioning, Human; Exercise; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Aniqa Asif, MS-PPT

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

IMRAN AMJAD, PhD

CONTACT

9233224390125; imran.amjad@riphah.edu.pk

Muhammad Asif Javed, MS-PT

CONTACT

923224209422; a.javed@riphah.edu.pk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants will get separate treatment protocols and possible efforts will be put to mask the both group about the treatment
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: A randomized controlled trial will be conducted, recruiting healthy children within a specific age range 8-12. This study will be conducted in the Leader's Lyceum School. Two experimental groups will be made. Participants will be randomly assigned to either an aerobic training group or a circuit training group. Non-probability convenient sampling technique will be used. The study will include the children from age 8 to 12, both genders, healthy children. Both programs will be implemented for a set duration of 12 weeks, with specific parameters regarding intensity, duration, and exercise types. The project will assess changes in BMI, physical fitness components (e.g., cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility), and quality of life through validated measures, including Pediatric Quality of Life Generic Score 4.0 (PedsQL), Physical Fitness Test, Presidential Fitness test and BMI.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 17, 2025
• First Posted: April 24, 2025
• Study Start: April 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 15, 2025
• Study Completion: July 14, 2025
• Last Updated: April 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share