{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T01:39:32Z","timestamp":1787881172399,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"PeerJ","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,8]],"date-time":"2025-05-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1746662400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"The Program for Overseas High-level Talents at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning","award":["TP2019072"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["TP2019072"]}]},{"name":"The Research and Innovation Grant for Graduate Students, Shanghai University of Sport","award":["YJSCX-2024-026"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["YJSCX-2024-026"]}]},{"name":"The Shanghai Key Lab of Human Performance","award":["11DZ2261100"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["11DZ2261100"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n               <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>This study examined the effects of a 12-week integrative neuromuscular training (INT) program on muscular fitness in male and female five- to six-year-old preschoolers.<\/jats:p>\n            <\/jats:sec>\n            <jats:sec>\n               <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Thirty preschoolers were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (EG; <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a015; age = 5.3\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.5 years, body height = 115.3\u00a0\u00b1\u00a05.2 cm, body mass = 20.7\u00a0\u00b1\u00a02.6 kg) or a control group (CG; <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u00a0=\u00a015; age = 5.2\u00a0\u00b1\u00a00.4 years, body height = 118.5\u00a0\u00b1\u00a04.9 cm, body mass = 22.6\u00a0\u00b1\u00a02.7 kg) participating in a 12-week INT program and regular physical education classes three times per week, respectively. Upper extremity maximal strength (grip strength test) and power (tennis ball throwing test), core endurance strength (one-minute sit-up test), and lower extremity power (standing long jump test) were assessed at the baseline (T0), Week 6 (T6), and Week 12 (T12). Data were analyzed using an independent samples T-test and a two-way repeated-measures ANOVA.<\/jats:p>\n            <\/jats:sec>\n            <jats:sec>\n               <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>Significant interaction effects between the EG and CG were observed for grip strength, tennis ball throws, one-minute sit-ups, and standing long jumps (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u00a0&lt;\u00a00.001). Relative to the CG, the EG demonstrated significant improvements in all muscular fitness at T6 and T12 (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u00a0&lt;\u00a00.05). However, no significant interaction was found between the time and the sex (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u00a0&gt;\u00a00.05).<\/jats:p>\n            <\/jats:sec>\n            <jats:sec>\n               <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n               <jats:p>These findings suggested that a 12-week INT program can more effectively enhance the muscular fitness of 5\u20136-year-old preschoolers compared to regular physical education classes, serving as an effective and efficient supplement to physical education for this age group. Furthermore, there is no evidence of sex -specific differences in the development of muscular fitness among 5\u20136-year-old preschoolers under the INT program.<\/jats:p>\n            <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.7717\/peerj.19417","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,8]],"date-time":"2025-05-08T08:40:48Z","timestamp":1746693648000},"page":"e19417","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Effects of 12-week integrative neuromuscular training on muscular fitness and sex differences in response to intervention in five- to six-year-old preschoolers"],"prefix":"10.7717","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Zhihai","family":"Wang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiayu","family":"Zang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhaohong","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fifth Experimental Kindergarten, Xin\u2019an County, Luoyang City, Henan, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel T.P.","family":"Fong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 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