The question:

What is the effect of physical activity levels and specialised movement education on blood indicators of (a) oxidative damage and (b) protection against such damage?

It is generally accepted that lack of moderate exercise and obesity are significant contributing factors to "lifestyle diseases" such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is less clear how incidence of some forms of cancer is reduced by increasing physical activity. The occurrence of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer have all been associated with increased products of oxidation of biological molecules and the presence of a number of anti-oxidant mechanisms in tissue strongly suggests the need to minimize the presence of reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species and other so-called 'free radicals" have been shown to be deleterious to biological molecules including protein, lipid and DNA. Moderate exercise has been shown to increase a number of the better defined anti-oxidant enzymes, at least in adults.

This section of the project aims to follow the effect of physical activity patterns on blood indices of oxidative stress and the protective mechanisms employed by our children in combating such stress.