This systematic review documents a large initial increase and an equally large subsequent decrease for cardiorespiratory endurance, but the decrease appears to have reached a floor for all children between 2010 and 2015. Relative muscle strength showed a small increase. Proxies of muscle power indicated an overall small negative quadratic trend. Speed showed small-to-medium increases in recent years. |
Because of the different trends in physical fitness, we recommend that already existing programs with the goal to promote PA and fitness should be maintained. More specifically, public health efforts should focus on exercise that increases cardiorespiratory endurance to prevent adverse health effects (overweight, obesity) and muscle strength to lay a foundation for motor skill learning. |
1 Introduction
2 Methods
2.1 Literature Search
2.2 Selection Criteria
2.3 Coding of Studies
Nation | Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, USA |
Physical fitness components | Cardiorespiratory endurance, relative muscle strength, proxies of muscle power, speed |
Chronological age | 6–18 years |
Sex | Boys and girls |
Trends | Positive, negative, stagnation |
Cardiorespiratory endurance | Relative muscle strength | Proxies of muscle power | Speed |
---|---|---|---|
6-min rune | Leg lift teste | Standing broad jumpe | 20-m sprinte |
9-min rune | Sit-upa,e | Sargent jump and reach teste | 30-m sprinte |
20-m shuttle rune | Push-upb,e | 40-m sprinte | |
Cooper test (12 min)e | Bent arm hange | 45,7-m (50-yd) sprinte | |
1200-m rune | Pull-upc,e | 50-m sprinte | |
1600-m rune | Arm-pull | 4 × 9-m shuttle run | |
Maximal cycle ergometere | Bench-pressd | 10 × 5-m shuttle rune | |
PWC 170 cycle ergometere | Two-hand lift | ||
Submaximal cycle ergometere |
2.4 Statistical Analyses
2.4.1 Computation of z scores for Components of Physical Fitness
2.4.2 Statistical Inference with an Integrated Linear Mixed Model
3 Results
3.1 Study Characteristics
References | Country | Time points Observational period in brackets (years) | Sex | Age range (years) | Range of sample sizes | Physical fitness component | Test(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matton et al. [49] | Belgium (Flanders) | 1972a/1980b, 2005 (33a/25b) | M, F | 12–17c | 161–2,153 | Strength, speed | BAH, SHR10 × 5 |
Westerstahl et al. [50] | Sweden | 1974, 1995 (21) | M, F | 16 | 185–230 | Strength, power, endurance | 9 min, THL, SJAR, SU, BP |
Reiff et al. [36] | USA | 1975, 1985 (10) | M, F | 10–17c | 196–786 | Strength, power, speed | PU, SHR4 × 9, 45,7 m, SBJ |
Mészáros et al. [51] | Hungary | 1975, 2000 (25) | M | 10–13c | 160–191 | Speed, endurance | 30 m, 1200 m |
Krombholz [52] | Germany | 1977, 2000 (23) | M, F | 6–7c | 80–220 | Power | SBJ |
Sedlak et al. [53] | Czech Republic | 1977, 2012 (35) | M, F | 6 | 133–178 | Power | SBJ |
Sziva et al. [38] | Hungary | 1979, 2004 (25) | M | 7–11c | 152–158d | Endurance | 12 min |
De Moraes Ferrari et al. [64] | Brazil | 1979, 1989, 1999, 2009 (30) | M, F | 10–11 | 43–184 | Endurance | SCE |
Runhaar et al. [54] | Netherlands | 1980, 2006 (26) | M, F | 9–12c | 41–505 | Strength, power, speed | BAH, SHR10 × 5, LLT, AP, SJAR |
Reed et al. [62] | Canada | 1981, 2004 (23) | M, F | 9–11c | 252–2,151d | Endurance | SHR 20 m |
Dollmann et al. [61] | Australia | 1985, 1997 (12) | M, F | 10–11c | 277–499 | Power, speed, endurance | 1600 m, 50 m, SBJ |
Hardy et al. [35] | Australia | 1985, 2015 (30) | M, F | 9–15c | 109–546 | Power | SBJ |
Wedderkopp et al. [55] | Denmark | 1986, 1998 (12) | M, F | 9 | 279–670 | Endurance | MCE |
McAnally et al. [63] | New Zealand | 1987, 2011 (24) | M, F | 15 | 157–436 | Endurance | SCE |
Aaberge and Mamen [56] | Norway | 1988, 2001 (13) | M, F | 15 | 77–106 | Power, endurance | SCE, SJAR |
Pampakas et al. [37] | Hungary | 1989, 2004 (15) | M | 7–10,5c | 136–147d | Endurance | 12 min |
Venckunas et al. [57] | Lithuania | 1992, 2002, 2012 (20) | M, F | 11–18c | 58–598 | Strength, power, speed, endurance | SBJ, SHR10 × 5, BAH, SU, SHR 20 m |
Costa et al. [34] | Portugal | 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 (15) | M, F | 10–11 | 229–262 | Strength, power, speed | SU, SBJ, 40 m |
Sandercock et al. [58] | England | 1998, 2008, 2014 (16) | M, F | 10–11 | 150–158 | Endurance | SHR 20 m |
Palomäki et al. [59] | Finland | 2003, 2010 (7) | M, F | 15–16 | 640–1,142 | Endurance | SHR 20 m |
Albrecht et al. [60] | Germany | 2005, 2011 (6) | M, F | 11–13 | 352–466 | Strength, power, endurance | SBJ, PHU, PWC |
Spengler et al. [39] | Germany | 2006–2015 (9) | M, F | 6–7 | 220–274 | Strength, speed, endurance | 6 min, PHU, 20 m |
3.2 Secular Trends and Effects of Sex for Components of Physical Fitness
Component | Fixed-effects estimates | Standard error | z values | p values |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cardiorespiratory endurance | 0.32595 | 0.12234 | 2.66 | 0.008 |
Sex | 0.44032 | 0.05348 | 8.23 | < 0.001 |
Year (linear) | − 0.02419 | 0.01027 | − 2.36 | 0.018 |
Year (quadratic) | − 0.00365 | 0.00084 | − 4.35 | < 0.001 |
Year (cubic) | 0.00012 | 0.00003 | 3.94 | < 0.001 |
Sex × year (linear) | − 0.00796 | 0.00243 | − 3.28 | 0.001 |
Relative muscle strength | − 0.17252 | 0.07174 | − 2.40 | 0.016 |
Sex | 0.09356 | 0.05087 | 1.84 | 0.066 |
Year (linear) | 0.01095 | 0.00720 | 1.52 | 0.128 |
Year (quadratic) | 0.00067 | 0.00033 | 2.069 | 0.039 |
Year (cubic) | − 0.00004 | 0.00002 | − 2.14 | 0.032 |
Sex × year (linear) | 0.00066 | 0.00184 | 0.36 | 0.721 |
Proxies of muscle power | 0.09430 | 0.03376 | 2.79 | 0.005 |
Sex | 0.36078 | 0.04894 | 7.37 | < 0.001 |
Year (linear) | − 0.00093 | 0.00536 | − 0.17 | 0.863 |
Year (quadratic) | − 0.00060 | 0.00030 | − 2.04 | 0.042 |
Year (cubic) | 0.00001 | 0.00002 | 0.70 | 0.486 |
Sex × year (linear) | 0.00474 | 0.00169 | 2.80 | 0.005 |
Speed | 0.03498 | 0.03732 | 0.94 | 0.349 |
Sex | 0.18428 | 0.05015 | 3.67 | < 0.001 |
Year (linear) | − 0.01822 | 0.00372 | − 4.90 | < 0.001 |
Year (quadratic) | − 0.00044 | 0.00021 | − 2.11 | 0.035 |
Year (cubic) | 0.00006 | 0.00001 | 4.60 | < 0.001 |
Sex × year (linear) | 0.00277 | 0.00180 | 1.54 | 0.125 |