A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECTS OF ENDURANCE TRAINING ON GROWTH HORMONE AND INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR-1 IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Endurance training effectively reduces growth hormone levels in obese children and adolescents more than resistance training. However, the effects of these exercises on non-obese children and teenagers are in an aura of ambiguity. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effects of endurance training on growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 in children and adolescents in the form of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The current study is a systematic review and meta-analysis (based on the PRISMA statement). Articles published till the beginning of 2022 were searched in PubMed, Web of Science and EBSCO, CINAHL, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus), Scopus, Mag Iran and SID databases. Search strategy was done with the help of Boolean operators with the keywords (young people or children or adolescents or teenagers or boys or girls or minors) and (hormone or growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor-1 or endocrine glands or cytokine) and (exercise or training) and (endurance or resistance).

The results of this meta-analysis showed that endurance exercise training is not associated with a significant increase in the amount of growth hormone at the end of the study compared to the beginning of the study (Means difference: 48 ng/ml, (0.02-0.99: CI95%, I2=0%, P=0.06). Also, the results of the meta-analysis in the other part of the results indicated that endurance exercise does not lead to a significant change in insulin-like growth factor-1 at the end of the study compared to the beginning of the study (The difference in means was 22.90 ng/ml, (2.12-47.92: CI95%, I=0%, P=0.92).

Endurance training has no effect on growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 in non-diseased children and adolescents.