Effects of 24-week basketball programme on body composition and functional fitness on adults with Down syndrome.
Six months of basketball three times a week sharply improves body composition and functional fitness in adults with Down syndrome.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers split the adults with Down syndrome into two groups. One group played basketball three times a week for one hour. The other group did no extra exercise. This lasted six months.
They measured body fat, muscle mass, balance, and strength before and after.
What they found
The basketball group lost body fat and gained muscle. Their balance and strength scores jumped far above the no-exercise group.
These were large, clear changes, not tiny tweaks.
How this fits with other research
Aguirre Mtanous et al. (2026) ran a longer 12-month exercise program for adults with Down syndrome who also had heart disease. They saw smaller fitness gains. The shorter, sport-focused basketball plan here produced bigger improvements.
Barton et al. (2019) used computer brain games instead of sports. They found only small mental gains and no clear real-life benefit. The basketball study shows physical activity can deliver larger, visible changes.
Nevin et al. (2005) showed that women with Down syndrome face higher obesity risk. This study proves a fun team sport can reverse that risk.
Why it matters
You can add basketball or similar team sports to adult day programs. Three one-hour sessions a week can cut fat, build muscle, and boost balance. No fancy gear is needed—just a ball and a hoop.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The body index [body mass, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and waist-height ratio] and functional fitness (aerobic capacity, muscular strength, balance, flexibility and functional ability) of people with Down syndrome (DS) are substantially lower than those in the general population, as DS has an overall negative impact on health. AIMS: This study explored the effect of a 24-week basketball training programme on the body composition and functional fitness of adults with DS. METHODS AND PROCEDURE OUTCOMES: Twenty-two adults with DS (24 ± 6 years; 25 ± 4 kg/m2 ) were randomly allocated to the experimental (n = 11, 67.04 kg) and control groups (n = 11, 69.36 kg). The experimental group performed 24 weeks of basketball programme training (3 times per week, 60 min per session), while the control group maintained their daily activities without any special physical training. Body composition and functional fitness parameters were measured before and after the intervention. To evaluate the differences between groups, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used while controlling for differences at baseline. RESULTS: Hip circumference and waist-height ratio were statistically different at baseline between the intervention and control groups. After the 24-week basketball training programme, the results showed significant differences between the exercise and control groups for hip circumference, body mass, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-height ratio, flexibility, aerobic capacity, static and dynamic balance, balance and basketball functional ability (P < 0.05). The exercise group showed significant improvements in all variables of body composition and functional fitness (P < 0.05) except for the waist-hip ratio. There was no statistical significance between all physical composition and functional health variables in the control group except for the standing long jump (P > 0.05), with effect sizes ranging from small to large. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The basketball training programme improved body composition and functional fitness of adults with DS.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2022 · doi:10.1111/jir.12951