New Approaches in Exercise Physiology

Changes in growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1 and GH) after a period of endurance swimming training in children

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Naser Rostamzadeh 1
Saiwan Sirwan Mohamed 2

1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, sanandej, Iran

2 Department of Sport Science for Health and Performance, College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Halabja, Kurdistan region, Iraq.

https://doi.org/10.22054/nass.2025.89960.1203
Abstract
Purpose: Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are critical for somatic development, linear bone growth, and metabolic homeostasis in children. Physical activity, especially endurance training, plays a significant role in modulating these hormones. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week endurance swimming training program on GH and IGF-1 levels in prepubertal children. Method: The study involved 30 healthy children aged 9–11 years, randomly assigned to either a swimming group (15 children) or a control group (15 children). The swimming group participated in a structured 8-week training program, three times per week, with each session lasting 60 minutes. GH and IGF-1 levels were measured before and 48 hours after the intervention using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis included two-way repeated-measures ANOVA to compare the effects of the training on hormone levels between the groups, with p-values set at 0.05. Results: The results revealed a significant increase in GH for the swimming group (from 17.4±0.9 to 22.9±1.1 ng/mL, p

Keywords

Growth hormone
insulin-like growth factor I
swimming
endurance training
Subjects
New Approaches in Exercise Physiology
Volume 7, Issue 14
December 2025
Pages 5-23

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