In order to find out how 12 weeks of Taekwondo training effects the body composition and basic strength improvement of growing children. Twenty elementary school boys who are in grades 4~6 (11~13 years old) were targeted. When they attended a 12 week ...
In order to find out how 12 weeks of Taekwondo training effects the body composition and basic strength improvement of growing children. Twenty elementary school boys who are in grades 4~6 (11~13 years old) were targeted. When they attended a 12 week Taekwondo training program, we compared and analyzed the changes of their body composition and basic strength during the training periods. So, we will establish the basic grounds for systematic Taekwondo teaching management and the development of a training program. Based on these factors, the purpose of this study is to improve growing children's body composition and basic strength.
The three measurements of this study were done before training, and after 6 and 12 weeks of training. The body composition test for Body Fat Mass, Percentage of Body Fat, Soft Lean Mass, and Fat Free Mass was done by using the INBODY 7.0 made by Biospace (Korea) company. The basic strength test for muscular strength, reflexes, muscular endurance, agility, and flexibility was done based on each item's own measurement method.
We encoded all materials used in this study to SPSS/WIN Program Version 12.0, and calculated the average of the item and standard deviation, and did a statistical significance test through a One-way ANOVA. For the similar results from the One-way ANOVA, we got the result below after comparing and analysing the specific difference upon the training period through Duncan's Multiple Range Test.
1. The result for Body Fat Mass showed a similar difference statistically between before training and after 12 weeks of training commensurate with the training period.
2. The result for Percentage of Body Fat showed a similar difference statistically between before training and after 12 weeks of training over the training period.
3. The result for Soft Lean Mass showed a similar difference statistically between before training and after 12 weeks of training, and between 12 weeks training and 6 weeks of training over the training period.
4. The result for Fat Free Mass didn't show a similar difference statistically.
5. The result for muscular strength in grip measurement didn't show a similar difference, but a similar difference in stomach muscular strength was shown between before training and after 12 weeks of training through the training period.
6. The result for Muscular Endurance showed a similar difference statistically between before training and after 12 weeks of training over the training period.
7. The result for reflexes didn't show a similar difference statistically.
8. The result for agility showed a similar difference statistically between before training and after 12 weeks of training, and between 12 weeks of training and 6 weeks of training based upon the training period.
9. The result for flexibility showed a similar difference statistically between before training and after 12 weeks of training, and between 12 weeks of training and 6 weeks of training based upon the training period.
According to these results, we confirmed that Taekwondo training for growing children provides a positive effect on the improvement of basic strength factors. Especially, the synergistic effect was high with some factors of muscular strength, muscular endurance, reflexes, and flexibilities commensurate with the training period. Also, as we noticed over the training period, it was difficult to expect a synergistic effect after 6 weeks of training compared with the average measurement before training. We could confirm the specific effect after 12 weeks of training in items which showed a similar difference among basic strength factors.
In body composition, we confirmed that Taekwondo training for growing children provides a positive effect on the change of body composition based on the result of a body fat mass and soft lean mass centered analysis. The positive effect on body fat mass, percentage of body fat, and soft lean mass in body composition was clear over the training period.
As we noticed the differences through the training period for body composition, it was difficult to expect a synergistic effect in all items except Percentage of Body Fat after 6 weeks of training compared to the average measurement before training.
Based on these results we can consider that continuous Taekwondo training over a long term would bring positive expectations to form a healthy and balanced basic strength and body composition of growing children.