" (Sharp, 1) This is a demonstration of the distinct physical response of the youth's body, justifying a framing of youth physical activity as separate, different and demanding its own specific scientific attention. This is so because there also exist specific risks to the child which must be considered before shaping or directing an exercise routine. The anaerobic capability of a child -- which denotes the subject's ability to generate and use energy -- will be simultaneously demonstrative of the unique abilities and vulnerabilities of the child. Sharp indicates that "on the anaerobic side, the younger the children, from about 8 to 16, the lower the proportion of anaerobic energy they can generate, and the lower the levels of lactic acid in blood. Thus, the younger the child, the less they have an built-in fatigue mechanism. An important physiological function of fatigue is to prevent muscle damage through excessive effort." (Sharp, 1) Though children are likely to demonstrate a greater degree of energy and stamina in exercise due to this difference in fatigue mechanisms, it is also important to prevent the child from straining the body too greatly in the absence of autonomic warning signs.

So is this supported by the Rowland text, which demonstrates that different rates of exercise intensity have their own distinct outcomes in the metabolic response. Rowland indicates that "duration of exercise also affects substrate utilization of 65% to 75% VO2 max, the contribution of fact rises slightly, while that of carbohydrate falls. More importantly, with increasing duration, utilization of glycogen (stored muscle carbohydrate) progressively declines. Depletion of glycogen stores, then, appears to serve as a limiting factor for endurance exercise performance." (Rowland, 70)

This demonstrates that exercise amongst youth can have distinct anatomical impacts not relevant to adults and that proper care must be attended to these distinctions. The notion that children may gain long-term heart health opportunities through early habituation of physical activity is supplemented by additional research denoting other distinct health prospects specific to children. One such health benefit relates to bone mineral density, which is an important factor in staving off injury and infirmity later...

Children in particular have the opportunity to preemptively address this issue through exercise. According to Khan et al. (2000), "observational studies in children undertaking routine physical activity and cross-sectional athlete studies in young sportspeople both reveal that activity is positively associated with bone mineral density (BMD)." (Khan et al., 150) This is an outcome which suggests yet another benefit to the physiology of the individual youth as a result of participation in regular physical activity, with the skeletal and joint systems in the body benefiting from the fortitude promoted by normal health usage.
The research provided here above reveals that in addition to the expected gains to physical health and lifestyle orientation, there are specific features of childhood exercise that can be observed in the context of anatomical examination. For all parties, there should be a conscientious interest in making outdoor play a priority, helping to instill a desire for physical activity and designing physical education programs which are compelling, enjoyable and which produce genuinely beneficial outcomes for children.

Works Cited:

Khan, K.; McKay, H.; Haapasalo, H.; Bennell, K.; Forwood, M.; Kannus, P. & Wark, J. (2000). Does childhood and adolescence provide a unique opportunity for exercise to strengthen the skeleton?. Journal of Science and medicine in Sport, 3(2), 150-164.

Rosenbaum, M. (2001). Increasing Basal Metabolic Rate Through Exercise. Medscape.

Rowland, T.W. (2005). Children's Exercise Physiology. Human Kinetics.

Sallis, J.F.; Prochaska, J.J. & Taylor, W.C. (2000). A review of correlates of physical activity of children and adolescents. Medical Science in Sports Exercise, 32(5), p. 963-975.

Sharp, C. (1999). Some features of the anatomy and exercise physiology of children, relating to training. IAAF/NSA.

Simons-Morton, B.G.; Parcel, G.S.; O'Hara, N.M.; Blair, S.N. & Pate, R.R. (1988). Health Related Physical Fitness in Childhood. American Review of Public Health, 9. 403-425.

Tomassoni, T.L. (1996). Role of exercise in the management of cardiovascular disease in children and youth. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 28(4), 406-413.