{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,6]],"date-time":"2026-04-06T19:11:28Z","timestamp":1775502688841,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,6]],"date-time":"2020-03-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1583452800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100010790","name":"Erasmus+","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Sport-579661-EPP-1-2016-2-IT-SPO-SCP"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Sport-579661-EPP-1-2016-2-IT-SPO-SCP"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100010790","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Physical fitness in youth is a predictor of health in adulthood. The main objective of the present study was to understand if an enriched sport activity program could increase physical fitness in a population of schoolchildren. Methods: In a sample of 672 children aged 10.0 \u00b1 1.90 years, different motor skills were tested by the 1 kg and 3 kg ball throw (BT), the standing broad jump (SBJ), the 30 m sprint (30mS), the leger shuttle run (LSR), the illinois agility test (IGT), and the quadruped test (QT). Within the controlled-trial, the intervention group (ESA) underwent an additional warm-up protocol, which included cognitive enhancing elements, for 14 weeks while the control group continued with ordinary exercise activity. Results: A significant increase was present regarding the 1 kg and 3 kg BT, the SBJ, the 30mS, and the IGT, while no significant difference was shown regarding the QT and the LSR in the ESA group between pre and post intervention. In the control group, no differences were present for any test except for the QT and the LSR post-test. Conclusion: A 14-week structured physical intervention had moderate effects regarding throwing, jumping, sprinting, and agility in a sample of schoolchildren.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17051723","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,6]],"date-time":"2020-03-06T09:26:41Z","timestamp":1583486801000},"page":"1723","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["Effects of a Physical Activity Intervention on Physical Fitness of schoolchildren: The Enriched Sport Activity Program"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5991-8316","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ewan","family":"Thomas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological, Pedagogical, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8334-6581","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonino","family":"Bianco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological, Pedagogical, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7619-5153","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Garden","family":"Tabacchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological, Pedagogical, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4327-5744","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos","family":"Marques da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIEQV-Life Quality Research Centre, Escola Superior de Desporto de Rio Maior-IPSANTAREM, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 20413 RIO Maior, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6558-1956","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuno","family":"Loureiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIEQV-Life Quality Research Centre, Escola Superior de Desporto de Rio Maior-IPSANTAREM, Av. Dr. M\u00e1rio Soares, 20413 RIO Maior, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Michele","family":"Basile","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Palermo Sport Center (CUS Palermo), Via Altofonte, 80, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}]},{"given":"Marcello","family":"Giaccone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Palermo Sport Center (CUS Palermo), Via Altofonte, 80, 90129 Palermo, Italy"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0372-041X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"David J.","family":"Sturm","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of School of Sport and Health Sciences, Professorship of Educational Science in Sport and Health, Technical University of Munich, Uptown Munich Campus D, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60\/62, 80992 Munich, Germany"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8777-5807","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fatma Ne\u015fe","family":"\u015eahin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport and Health, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ankara University, Golba\u015f\u0131 Yerle\u015fkesi Spor Bilimleri Fak\u00fcltesi, Golba\u015f\u0131, 06830 Ankara, Turkey"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5713-3395","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u00d6zkan","family":"G\u00fcler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sport and Health, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ankara University, Golba\u015f\u0131 Yerle\u015fkesi Spor Bilimleri Fak\u00fcltesi, Golba\u015f\u0131, 06830 Ankara, Turkey"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4595-3994","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel","family":"G\u00f3mez-L\u00f3pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Activity and Sport, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Murcia, Calle Argentina, s\/n., 30720 Murcia, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9897-5273","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guillermo F.","family":"L\u00f3pez S\u00e1nchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Activity and Sport, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Murcia, Calle Argentina, s\/n., 30720 Murcia, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5306-4188","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Simona","family":"Pajaujiene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Coaching Science, Lithuanian Sports University, Sporto 6, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania"}]},{"given":"Ilona Judita","family":"Zuoziene","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Coaching Science, Lithuanian Sports University, Sporto 6, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania"}]},{"given":"Ante","family":"Rada","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Split, Teslina 6, 21000 Split, Croatia"}]},{"given":"Marianna","family":"Alesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological, Pedagogical, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Palma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological, Pedagogical, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90144 Palermo, Italy"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,3,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"799","DOI":"10.1161\/CIRCRESAHA.118.312669","article-title":"Sedentary Behavior, Exercise, and Cardiovascular Health","volume":"124","author":"Lavie","year":"2019","journal-title":"Circ. 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