인터벌 걷기 운동이 비만 아동의 신체구성, 뇌 활성도, 혈중 BDNF 농도 및 주의집중력에 미치는 영향 = Effects of Interval Walking Exercise on Body Composition, Brain Waves, Blood BDNF Levels and Attention Concentration in Obese Children

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of interval walking exercise and continuous walking exercise on body composition, brain activity, blood BDNF levels, and attention concentration in obese children.
Method: The study involved 20 obese children aged between 6 and 12 years, who were randomly divided into two groups: an interval walking exercise group (IW, n=10) and a continuous walking exercise group (CW, n=10). Both groups participated in the exercise three times a week for eight weeks. The IW group performed 39 minutes of walking, including 3-minute intervals at 80% of HRmax and 3-minute intervals at 40% of HRmax. The CW group walked for a total of 39 minutes at 60% of HRmax. Before and after the exercise program, the participants underwent assessments for body composition, blood collection, electrical brain activity, and stroop test. A mixed ANOVA was conducted to analyze the differences between groups and time points, with a significance level set at α = 0.05.
Results: The results revealed that the body mass index decreased in both groups. The percentage of body fat decreased significantly only in the IW group. Blood BDNF levels significantly improved after exercise in both groups. Theta wave and SMR waves in the left and right brain significantly decreased in both groups.
Word score, color score, and color-word score increased significantly in both groups.
Conclusion: In summary, interval walking exercise and continuous walking exercise are similarly effective in reducing body mass index and improving brain function in obese children. However, it is confirmed that interval walking exercise was more effective in reducing body fat.