Television Makes Kids Less Likely To Excel In Sports
If your parents didn't regulate your TV-watching when you were young,
then this study says you should put the blame on them for your
inability to run faster than your peers.
For the study, researchers observed 1,314 kids in Quebec on how much time they spent in front of the television from ages 29 months to 53 months. As second-graders, the kids were asked to perform the physical feat of jumping from a stand-still. Those that had watched more TV recorded much shorter standing long-jumps than their more rambunctious peers.
These findings, which were published in the Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, showed that the amount of time children spend watching TV directly correlates to their capacity for sports as they age. This has to do with something called "explosive leg strength" , which is one of the key barometers for athletic prowess:
Lead researcher Caroline Fitzpatrick, explained a little more about this correlation:
For the study, researchers observed 1,314 kids in Quebec on how much time they spent in front of the television from ages 29 months to 53 months. As second-graders, the kids were asked to perform the physical feat of jumping from a stand-still. Those that had watched more TV recorded much shorter standing long-jumps than their more rambunctious peers.
These findings, which were published in the Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, showed that the amount of time children spend watching TV directly correlates to their capacity for sports as they age. This has to do with something called "explosive leg strength" , which is one of the key barometers for athletic prowess:
Watching more television in early childhood forecasted lesser performance on a test of explosive muscular strength in later childhood .... This suggests that for some children, excessive television exposure was associated with the experience of a substantial level of impairment.
Lead researcher Caroline Fitzpatrick, explained a little more about this correlation:
“Children are not watching one hour of television per week, but eight
to ten per week,” she said. By age 10, she estimates that 18 hours of
TV per week adds three quarters of a centimeter, about a third of an
inch. “I have friends who get excited about a centimeter, and they are
30 years old,” said Fitzpatrick.
But beyond a few millimeters, Fitzpatrick said it’s about getting off to a bad start in life.
“If you develop fat at an early age, there’s a better chance that
you’ll be fat later in life,” she said. And sitting in front of the
screen creates bad health habits. “They are more likely to sit inside in
the house in the warmth instead of going outside and playing hockey,”
said Fitzpatrick.
While the study didn't offer any recommended cut-off for TV-watching, it did warn that each hour of TV past 29 months would result in diminished athletic performance. Or you could always just replace the living room sofa with a trampoline instead?
