The impact of a 10-week physical activity intervention programme on selective metabolic syndrome markers in black adolescents

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 10-week physical activity (PA) intervention on selective metabolic syndrome markers in black adolescents. All available adolescents (194 subjects), boys and girls, in the grade 9 class (15-19 years) attending a secondary school were recruited for the experimental group. A control group consisting of 57 adolescents from grade 9 of another secondary school in the same area was also recruited. The experimental group participated in a 10- week PA intervention. Body mass index (BMI), fasting insulin, fasting glucose, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), Windkessel arterial compliance (Cw), total peripheral resistance (TPR) and waist circumference were measured. After the 10-week PA intervention, adolescents from the control group had a significantly lower DBP compared to the intervention group (p=0.00005) and adolescents from the intervention group had a significantly lower SBP compared to the control group (p=0.000061). There was also a tendency towards a higher Cw and lower HOMA-IR in the intervention group compared to the control group. The findings of this study suggest that black adolescents had significantly lower SBP and a trend of lower HOMA-IR after a 10-week PA intervention. Key words: Physical activity; Metabolic syndrome; Adolescents.