Targeting Bone and Fat with Novel Exercise for Peripubertal Boys: The CAPO Kids Trial

Our goal was to test the effect of a brief, novel bone- and fat-targeted exercise program on bone, muscle, and fat in healthy pre and peripubertal boys. We conducted a 10-min, 3/wk capoeira and jumping exercise intervention for 9 months with year 5 and 6 school boys. Anthropometrics, maturity, heart rate, blood pressure, maximal vertical jump, aerobic capacity and calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation and stiffness index (BUA and SI; Achilles, GE) were assessed. Bone, lean and fat tissue (DXA; XR800, Norland), and parameters of bone geometry (pQCT, XCT3000, Stratec) were measured from a subsample of 36 boys. Of 188 boys (10.6 ± 0.5 yr) who consented, 172 completed all testing; 104 exercisers (EX) and 68 controls (CON). 30 EX and 6 CON participants underwent DXA and pQCT measures. EX improved BUA (+4.3% vs. +2.1%, p = .035), waist circumference (+2.8% vs. +6.2%, p = .001), heart rate (-5.3% vs. +1.5%, p = .005), maximal vertical jump (+12.2% vs. −0.3%, p = .001) and estimated maximal oxygen consumption (+9.1% vs. +1.2%, p = .001) compared with CON. Three 10-min sessions of capoeira and jumping per week improved calcaneal bone and metabolic health of pre and peripubertal boys over the course of a school year with little disruption to the academic schedule.