Study of Body Composition and Some Parameters of Physical Fitness in Children with Sickle Cell Trait Disease

Abstract

The current study aims at determining and comparing the body composition and different parameters of physical fitness in the study participants and to detect complications relating to exercise performance in SCT and SCA patients. The study also aimed at developing guidelines for school-based physical education programs and sport participation in children with SCA. The study included four groups; group one consisted of fifty healthy controls, group two consisted of fifty children with sickle cell trait, group three consisted of fifty children with sickle cell disease. This group number was reduced to 41, as nine children could not complete the aerobic exercise load. Therefore, they were studied separately with anaerobic exercise load and named group four all the studied subjects were subjected to, anthropometric measurements, body composition parameters and parameters of physical fitness The results revealed that the weight, height and lean body mass were significantly lower in the SCA patients, while their body fat percentage and fat mass were higher. All the parameters of physical fitness were significantly lower in the SCA groups compared to healthy subjects and SCT. In general, SCA patients showed higher serum lactate values before and after exercise compared to the other groups. Serum lactate levels and peak heart rate values were less in the SCA patients after the Interval anaerobic exercise compared to the aerobic load. Patients with SCA are preferred to practice the high intensity interval anaerobic loads and avoid the prolonged aerobic activities. The study recommended that children with sickle cell trait disease should participate regularly in physical education lesson. The study comes up with guideline for children in physical education lesson.