Objective: To investigate the effects of a school-based once-a-week sports program on
physical fitness, physical activity, and cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents
with a physical disability.
Methods: This controlled clinical trial included 71 children and adolescents from four
schools for special education [mean age 13.7 (2.9) years, range 8–19, 55% boys].
Participants had various chronic health conditions including cerebral palsy (37%),
other neuromuscular (44%), metabolic (8%), musculoskeletal (7%), and cardiovascular
(4%) disorders. Before recruitment and based on the presence of school-based
sports, schools were assigned as sport or control group. School-based sports were
initiated and provided by motivated experienced physical educators. The sport group
(n = 31) participated in a once-a-week school-based sports program for 6 months,
which included team sports. The control group (n = 40) followed the regular curriculum.
Anaerobic performance was assessed by the Muscle Power Sprint Test.
Secondary outcome measures included aerobic performance, VO2 peak, strength,
physical activity, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, body composition, and the metabolic
profile.
Results: A significant improvement of 16% in favor of the sport group was found for
anaerobic performance (p = 0.003). In addition, the sport group lost 2.8% more fat mass
compared to the control group (p = 0.007). No changes were found for aerobic performance, VO2 peak, physical activity, blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and the metabolic profile.
Conclusion: Anaerobic performance and fat mass improved following a school-based
sports program. These effects are promising for long-term fitness and health promotion,
because sports sessions at school eliminate certain barriers for sports participation and
adding a once-a-week sports session showed already positive effects for 6 months.
