Dr. Biol. T.F. Abramova¹
PhD T.M. Nikitina¹
A.V. Polfuntikova¹
D.N. Pukhov^2
1Federal Scientific Center for Physical Culture and Sports, Moscow
²St. Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture, St. Petersburg

Keywords: physical fitness, physical development, wrestling group, football group, unsporting group, 6-10 year-olds’ growth rate.

Background. Sports and other physical activity are commonly ranked among the key external factors of influence on the children’s progress in anatomical, physiological and physical fitness aspects [3].  Physical fitness of the 6-10 year-olds is traditionally secured by the school/ kindergarten physical education and sports service variable in the physical education and sports tools and focuses. The age-specific athletic training programs are regulated by the relevant Federal Sports Training Standards with a special priority to the staged athletic/ health progress aspects in every physical exercise and sport skill mastering practice, with the athletic trainings taking on average 3-4 times more time than the standard physical education classes [8].

Underage sports are commonly known to have multiple benefits and form a basis for specific/ unilateral progress in different physical fitness elements [2, 9]. The recent negative trends reported by the young people’s health/ physical fitness statistics urge the national research community to analyze the physical education and sport system drawbacks and offer new the physical activation/ sporting models for the 6-10 year-olds based on sports-specific physical development / physical fitness progress rating tests and comparative analyses.

Objective of the study was to rate and analyze the age-and sports-specific physical development / physical fitness progresses of the 6-10 year-olds.

Methods and structure of the study. A set of physical fitness / physical development tests for the study was formed based on the key progress rates provided by the valid age-specific GTO Complex test systems [6, 4]. We used the following test methods: anthropometrics, caliperometry, physiometry, heart rate tests; school progress and graphical test [1, 5, 7] to obtain the following functionality data: body length and mass; limb sizes; fat mass; vital capacity (VC); heart rate; and carpal strength; and the following physical fitness tests: 10x3m shuttle sprint; standing long jump; and flexibility rating front lean (on a gymnastic bench) tests. The graphical test used a geometric representation of dynamic movement trajectories on a phase plane with two variables – an independent variable and its variation rate – referred to as the ‘phase portrait’ indicative of the general logics of the system's behavior. The graphical method applies the qualitative theory of differential equations of dx / dt = F (x1… xn) type, where x is an independent variable, and dx/ dt is the variation rate [7].

We sampled for the study, on a parental consent, the 6-10 year old boys (n=365) including an unsporting group (USG, n=150); football group (FG, n= 106) and wrestling group (WG, n=109) with the training experiences of 8 to 18 months. The groups were further split up for the tests into unsporting, football and wresting subgroups of 25-39, 20-27 and 20-29 people, respectively.   

Results and discussion. The tests and studies of age-related morphological and functional variations and physical fitness showed the following (see Figures 1 and 2). Intergroup differences in the body length were statistically insignificant and dependent on the age-related physical development patterns. The body length growth rates were generally the natural progress and sport selection dependent and tested at 16.6% for 4 years in the unsporting group (maximal and minimal in the 7-9 and 9-10 year periods, respectively); 18.4% in the football group (maximal and minimal in the 7-8 and 6-7 year periods, respectively); and 14.6% in the wrestling group (uniformly growing and minimal in the 6-9 and 9-10 year periods, respectively).

Body mass was also found group-unspecific, with the football group tested with the lowest body mass, with the minimal differences around 6 years of age (within 1 kg) and growth to 2-3 kg in the 7-10 year period. The body mass growth rates across the sample were close albeit the highest for the unsporting group (58.8%), minimal in the wrestling group (51.3%) and medium (54.2%) in the football group. The unsporting group was tested with the highest body mass progress in the 6-8 year period (30%); versus the 7-8 year period in the football group (22%); and 6-9 year period in the wrestling group (12-15% per annum). Every group was tested with the minimal body mass progress in the 9-10 year period (5-9%), with the lowest progress found in the wrestling group. The close group physical development rates made it possible to run the physical fitness tests on a relatively equal ground.

Figure 1. Age- and sports-group-specific morphology and functionality test rates of the 6-10 year olds (with у axis showing variations, and x axis showing values, with ages indicated by dots)

The most significant intergroup physical activity differences are manifested in variations of the labile components of the body mass i.e. age-specific phased muscle mass and fat mass variations. Fat mass phase portraits show the minimal variations in the unsporting group in the 6-10 year period (41.2% and 41.4% at 6 and 10 years of age, respectively); whilst the muscle mass phase portrait showed growth in the 6-7 and 8 -9 year periods with the maximal growth in the 7-8 and 9-10 year periods. The wrestling group was tested with the muscle mass maximum and fast progress in the 7-10 year period with a significant drop in the 6-7 year period (44.6% and 46.1% at 6 and 10 years of age, respectively). The football group was tested with the muscle mass growth (43.3% and 45.2% at 6 and 10 years of age, respectively) and some fall in the 8-9 year period. The fat mass phase portrait showed minimums for the wrestling group and football group in the 6-10 year period (12.6% and 14.4% at 6 and 10 years of age, respectively); versus the fat mass maximum and fast growth in the unsporting group in the 7-8 (26.4%) year period (16.5% and 25.9% at 6 and 10 years of age, respectively). The football group was tested intermediate on the fat mass scale (13.0% and 17.1% at 6 and 10 years of age, respectively). On the whole, the sporting groups were tested with the fat mass falls and the unsporting group with the fat mass growth for the test period.

The age-specific physical fitness variations showed the football group standing lower on the HR variation scale than the wrestling group and unsporting group – that may be interpreted as indicative of the effects of sport trainings. Generally the sporting lifestyles were found to improve the physical fitness in both sporting groups – versus the slower and poorer physical fitness progresses in the unsporting group.

Carpal strength was tested to fast progress in the sporting groups (by 35% for 4 years), with the wrestling group tested with a uniform annual progress for the period – versus the football group tested with the highest growth in the 6-7 year period and a regress to zero point in the 7-9 year period – that may be indicative of the lower priority to this physical quality in trainings. The unsporting group was tested with no progress in the 7-8 and 9-10 year periods (with a total growth of only 12.6% for 4 years).

The speed ​​and dexterity rating shuttle sprint tests showed the highest progress in the wrestling group in the 6-7 and 8-9 year periods (10% and 7%, respectively; with total growth by 18.6% for 4 years). The football group was tested with the highest progress in the 6-7 year period (9%) and the total growth by 18% for 4 years. And the unsporting group was tested with progress in the 8-9 year period (10%) and regress in the 9-10 year period, with the total growth by 15% for 4 years.

The leg strength rating long jump test showed the highest progress in the football group in the 6-7 year period (14.6%), with the total growth by 45% for 4 years. The wrestling group also showed the highest progress in the 6-7 year period (7%), with the total growth by 31% over 4 years. And the unsporting group was tested with the highest progress in the 8-9 year period (14%) and some regress in the 9-10 year period, with the total growth by 21% for 4 years. The age-specific flexibility was tested to fall in the 6-10 year period in every group, with the unsporting group and wrestling group tested with the highest and lowest regresses, respectively.

Figure 2. Age- and sports-specific physical fitness variaions in the sample (with у axis showing variations, and x axis showing values, with ages indicated by dots)

Conclusion. The physical fitness / physical development sports- and age-specific progress tests of the 6-10 year-olds with comparative analysis found these physical qualities underestimated by the valid physical education curriculum – namely the carpal strength and flexibility (for the whole period) followed by the leg strength and dexterity to a lesser degree (that need to be prioritized in the 9-10 year period). The age-specific athletic training programs, particularly in wrestling, are recommended making an emphasis on the flexibility training elements, whilst the football trainings should additionally prioritize harmonized strength practices, with a focus on the carpal strength in the 7-9 year period in the balanced physical fitness progress models.

References

1. Abramova T.F., Nikitina T.M., Kochetkova N.I. Labile body weight components - criteria for general physical fitness and control of current and long-term adaptation to training loads. Method. recommendations. M.: Skyprint publ., 2013. 132 p.
2. Abramova T.F., Nikitina T.M., Polfuntikova A.V. et al. Influence of systematic sports on physical development and physical fitness of 6-10 year-olds. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Ser. 23: Antropologiya. 2019. No. 3. pp. 5-14.
3. Bal’sevich V.K. Human Ontokinesiology. M.: Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury, 2000. 275 p.
4. Lyakh V.I., Zdanevich A.A. Comprehensive physical education program for 1-11 grade students. M.: Prosveshchenie publ., 2004. 56 p.
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6. Order of the Ministry of Sports of Russia dated 12.02.2019 No. 90 “On approval of state requirements of Russian physical culture and sports complex ‘Ready for Labor and Defense’ [Electronic resource] Available at: https://minjust.consultant.ru/documents/ 42248?items =1&page=5 (date of access: 05.02.2020).
7. Romanovskiy Yu.M., Stepanova N.V., Chernavskiy D.S. Meaning of mathematical biophysics. M.: Prosveshchenie publ., 1971. 136 p.
8. Federal standards for sports training [Electronic resource] Available at: https://www.minsport.gov.ru/sport/podgotovka/82/5502/ (date of access – 07.02.2020).
9. Khvatskaya E.E., Latysheva N.E. Problem of early specialization (professionalization). Vestnik Pskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ser. Psikhologo-pedagogicheskie nauki. 2015. no. 1. pp. 194-200.

Corresponding author: atf52@bk.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to rate and analyze the age-and sports-specific physical development / physical fitness progresses of the 6-10 year-olds.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study were 365 boys aged 6-10 years with different levels of motor activity: 150 non-sporting children (hereinafter referred to as NS); 106 footballers; 109 wrestlers with different sports experience (from 8 months to 1.5 years). The number of children in the age groups was as follows: 25 to 39 - among the non-sporting subjects; 20 to 27 - among the footballers, and 20 to 29 - among the wrestlers. The tests were run with the consent of the subjects' parents.

The testing program was developed with due regard to the relevant GTO Complex standards and physical development and physical fitness tests for pre-school institutions and general education schools.
The methods applied were as follows: anthropometry, caliperometry, physiometry, pulsometry, pedagogical observations, and graphical analysis.

Results and conclusions. The physical fitness / physical development sports- and age-specific progress tests of the 6-10 year-olds with comparative analysis found these physical qualities underestimated by the valid physical education curriculum – namely the carpal strength and flexibility (for the whole period) followed by the leg strength and dexterity to a lesser degree (that need to be prioritized in the 9-10 year period). The age-specific athletic training programs, particularly in wrestling, are recommended making an emphasis on the flexibility training elements, whilst the football trainings should additionally prioritize harmonized strength practices, with a focus on the carpal strength in the 7-9 year period in the balanced physical fitness progress models.