Let them play: Research finds children who exercise have healthier arteries

Giving children extra minutes at the playground could be good for their arteries, according to new research that suggests intense physical activity could prevent them from developing heart disease later in life.

The study, published in Pediatric Exercise Science, was conducted by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Cambridge. They found that high levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity among children are associated with lower arterial stiffness, a condition that can begin in childhood and eventually lead to cardiovascular disease.

In the study, which included 136 Finnish children aged between 6 and 8 years old, researchers monitored their physical activity and sedentary time using a movement sensor that measured heart rate. They measured arterial stiffness with a pulse contour analysis based on photoplethysmography technology. Other factors like diet, body fat and sleep were controlled for the analysis.

To assess activity, researchers created thresholds to measure it. Sufficient exercise was measured at 68 minutes with a level of at least 5 METs, the way the researchers categorized activity intensity. At 6 METs, 26 minutes of physical activity was considered sufficient exercise. Results showed that children who were less active, or below the thresholds, had stiffer arteries.

"It seems that the positive effects of physical activity on arterial stiffness require sufficient cardiovascular strain, and light physical activity does not provide that kind of stimulus. Moderate to vigorous exercise can also counterbalance the effects of sedentary time," says Eero Haapala, MD, PhD, a researcher at the University of Eastern Finland.