A recent study explains why children are full of energy and, when they take part in sporting activities, appear much less tired than adults.
As parents, you've certainly noticed that your children are bursting with energy. Well precisely, a study published on April 24, 2018 in the journal Frontiers explains why children seem so little tired when they engage in physical activities. The results reveal that children resist fatigue quite well and recover quickly after high-intensity exercise.
The children are...
Three different groups took part in this study: boys aged 8-12, untrained adults and top athletes. They were asked to perform cycling activities. Two ways in which the body produces energy were evaluated: the first, aerobic, which uses oxygen from the blood, and the second, anaerobic, which uses no oxygen and produces lactic acid ("a metabolic waste product produced when a muscle is subjected to intense and continuous effort"). After the exercises, the heart rate, oxygen levels and lactic acid elimination rates of the study participants were observed to see how quickly they recovered from the test.
Accomplished athletes!
The results? Children are the big winners in this study! In fact, this is due to the fact that children tend to use their aerobic metabolism during exercise - which also dominates in adult athletes - and have a greater capacity for recovery than trained adults. In fact, children eliminate lactic acid faster than adult athletes, and their heart rate returns to normal more quickly. Children's fatigue rate is therefore similar to that of athletes, and they recover faster from high-intensity exercise than untrained adults. Impressive, isn't it?
Exercise is very important for children. All the more so if they recover easily!
