International Journal of Applied Exercise Physiology www.ijaep.com VOL. 10 (1) 115 Artistic Gymnastics Improves Biomarkers Related to Physical Fitness and Health at Primary School Age Stefan Kolimechkov 1 *, Lubomir Petrov 2 and Albena Alexandrova 3 1 STK Sport, London, United Kingdom 2,3 National Sports Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria *Corresponding author Abstract Artistic gymnastics requires the performance of a variety of technical elements on different apparatuses where gymnasts have to overcome their body mass. Maintaining optimal health and a good level of physical fitness is crucial in order to successfully perform the routines. The aim of this study was to assess health and physical fitness related biomarkers in young gymnasts, whilst estimating the benefits of regular gymnastics practice at primary school ages. The study included 90 children, 49 of whom (mean age 9.5 years) were practising artistic gymnastics for at least 2 years with an average of 6 hours per week, and a control group of 41 children (mean age 8.9 years). The participants completed the Alpha-Fit physical fitness test battery (BMI, %Fat, handgrip strength, standing long jump, 4x10m shuttle run test and 20m multistage fitness test). Percentile scores were calculated for the results of each test. The height, body mass, BMI, and %Fat of the male and female gymnasts were significantly lower than those of the control groups (p<0.001, with very large effect size d>1.20). All gymnasts had their body fat within the norms. The results from the standing long jump test, 4x10m shuttle run test, as well as the 20m shuttle run test, were significantly greater in favour of the gymnasts in comparison to the control groups for both genders (p<0.001, d>1.20). These findings show that practising artistic gymnastics has a positive impact on the health-related biomarkers of children’s physical fitness, and it contributes to sustaining a normal health status. Keywords: Alpha-fit, BMI, children, gymnasts, health. 1. Introduction Nowadays, millions of children are involved in gymnastics all over the world, and that requires detailed understanding of the health-related benefits in both genders, and particularly at a young age. Unlike other sports, artistic gymnastics requires the performance of a variety of technical elements on different apparatuses where gymnasts have to overcome their body weight and mostly multiply it several times when tumbling and dismounting [22]. Maintaining optimal health and a good level of physical fitness is crucial in order to successfully perform the routines. Assessing the gymnast’s physical fitness level, as well as identifying the exact components which need to be developed are both important goals in the coaching practise. Measuring and tracking the biomarkers related to physical fitness can provide information on the impact of the sport on each gymnast’s health [10]. The health-related physical fitness has been described in the literature as a multidimensional structure, which includes body composition, musculoskeletal fitness, motor fitness, and cardiorespiratory fitness [2, 3, 51, 52]. It has also been shown in both, cross-sectional and longitudinal studies in Europe, that the health-related physical fitness is a major factor in children’s health [50, 52]. The modern field-based test batteries are created on the basis of assessing the biomarkers related to physical fitness and health, and there are more than fifteen physical fitness test batteries for children and adolescents applied around the world [11, 26]. One of the most used fitness test batteries applied in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies on health biomarkers in relation to physical fitness in children, is the Alpha-fit test battery, which has been shown to be valid, reliable and safe [13, 15, 52, 55]. Gymnastics is one of the sports activities which can be practised from a very young age, and children involved in gymnastics are introduced to foundational elements, such as jumping, hanging, rotating, crawling, and rolling [47]. Further understanding of the health-related benefits on both genders in primary school children can benefit not only the coaches involved in gymnastics, but also the physical education teachers, parents and gymnasts as well. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess health-related biomarkers of physical fitness at primary school age whilst estimating the benefits of regular gymnastics practice at young ages.