A156: The Effects of School-Based Concurrent Training on Body Compositionand Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Obese Children

<bold>Objective:</bold> High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a highly effective form of exercise for the obese population. Concurrent training (CT) is also an effective intervention. Simultaneous training is often in the form of strength combined with aerobic training. Considering the high efficiency of HIIT, this study considered combining HIIT with aerobic training and HIIT with resistance training respectively to form two simultaneous training programs to observe its effects on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in children with obesity. <bold>Methods:</bold> Thirty children with obesity [age: (10.1 ± 0.7) years, BMI: (55.0 ± 6.1) kg/m²] were recruited from a primary school and randomly assigned into two concurrent training groups (CT1, CT2) and a control group (CG). CT1 group performed sprint interval training [3 sets × 10 bouts of 15 seconds sprint at 90% maximal heart rate (HR_max) interval by 15 seconds’ rest, 3 minutes rest between each set], followed by 10 minutes of aerobic ladder climbing [10 bouts of 12 ladders at 60~70% HR_max with 15 seconds’ rest, 3 minutes rest between each set]. The CT2 group performed the same sprint interval training as CT1, followed by 10 minutes of core-strength training (plank 60 s × 1, supine leg raise 10 times × 2, bicycle crunches 10 s × 2, seated scissor kicks 20 s × 1, sit-ups 20 times × 1, with 15 s rest and 1-minute rest between sets). Body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured pre- and post-intervention and analyzed using ANOVA tests and t-tests with SPSS 25.0. <bold>Results:</bold> The paired sample t-test found that body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, body fat, and visceral adipose tissue area were significantly improved (t-values: 5.014, 7.271, 6.736, 2.883, 6.217, P &lt; 0.05). The 20 m-SRT and VO_2max increased (t-values: -10.301, -15.95, P &lt; 0.05). Among them, the indices in the CT2 group showed significant changes (t-values: 6.265, 7.901, 5.821, 10.256, -3.097, P &lt; 0.05). The 20 m-SRT and VO_2max increased (t-values: -8.583, -11.375, P &lt; 0.05). ANOVA analysis of changes in CT1 and CT2 pre- and post-intervention found that body weight, BMI, visceral fat, 20 m-SRT, and VO_2max improvements in the CT1 group were significantly better than those in the CT2 group (F-values: 6.468, 7.652, 48.384, 7.821, 20.101, and 27.655; all P &lt; 0.05). <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The CT training of HIIT combined with ladder training can achieve a more efficient weight loss effect and improve cardiorespiratory fitness. HIIT combined with aerobic exercise can be an efficient exercise prescription for children with obesity.