Research Article: Health Outcomes of Judo Training as an Organized Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents: A Literature Review
Abstract:
Judo, an organized physical activity for children and adolescents, has gained popularity worldwide. Physical activity is vital during times of rising obesity and a sedentary lifestyle in this age group. The article aims to review the current knowledge of the health benefits of judo-specific exercises for children and youth. Six international scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, UpToDate, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar) were searched from 1 January 2007 to 30 September 2022. The search focused on health-related factors regarding healthy preschool and school-aged judo practitioners. Sixteen original studies met the inclusion criteria. School-aged children aged 7–15 years were included in the analysis. The average training time was between two and six hours a week, with the judo intervention mainly ranging from nine months to three years. Most studies registered positive changes caused by judo training. The outcomes focused on maintaining or reducing body fat, increasing bone mineralization, and improving the function of the cardiorespiratory system compared to the non-practicing control group. However, there were no differences between judo and other sports groups. The main conclusions presented health benefits from judo-specific training in school-aged children and may support the World Health Organization recommendations concerning daily physical activity.
Introduction:
A reduced amount of physical activity (PA) resulting from a sedentary lifestyle is one of the most alarming current problems among children and adolescents [1,2]. It is reflected in the global increase in obesity in this age group. Increased caloric intake and decreased energy expenditure from reduced PA are associated with a higher amount of adipose tissue in the body [3]. Excessive body fat (BF) during childhood and adolescence increases the occurrence of cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, as well as the…
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