Relationships between motor performance and body composition of school adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: Motor coordination is a result of interactions between many body systems, producing accurate and balanced kinetic actions. The evaluation of motor performance levels in children and teenagers may conserve and improve health and life qualities. Body composition may interfere considerably in motor coordination, particularly in overweight and obese conditions.
 Objective: To analyse the relationships between motor performance and body composition in children.
 Methods: Motor coordination was evaluated through the Körperkoordinations test für Kinder (KTK test), considering the motor quotient (MQ) and body composition using the body fat percentage (BF%) and body mass index (BMI).
 Results: BMI (38% and 36%) and BF% (28% and 22%), from boys and girls respectively, demonstrated that body composition is above the recommended. Girls presented MQ values lower than those observed in boys (p < 0.001). The groups with BFPs below the recommended value showed higher values of MQ than the normal group (p<0.05) and than children above the recommended ideal (p < 0.05). A reverse correlation was observed between MQ with BF% (r = -0.432) or BMI (r = -0.254).
 Conclusion: There are relationships between body composition and motor coordination in teenagers between 11 and 14 years old, related or not to gender and age.