00:00A major new study out of Norway is raising fresh questions about when kids' fitness levels
00:05actually start slipping, and the answer might surprise parents. Researchers tracked 330 children
00:11from first grade all the way through sixth grade, giving them rigorous treadmill tests to measure
00:16peak oxygen uptake, which is considered the gold standard for aerobic fitness. What they found was
00:21a clear drop between fifth and sixth grade specifically, even though kids' raw fitness
00:26numbers looked stable when growth wasn't factored in. Here's the surprising part. Some schools in
00:32the study ran extra-physical activity programming, specifically designed to protect kids' fitness
00:37during this stretch. It didn't matter. The decline showed up at every single one of the nine
00:42participating schools. Whether or not students got the extra activity, researchers say that
00:47consistency suggests something tied to growth, and development itself might be driving the drop.
00:52Not just how much kids are moving. The team says identifying what actually protects fitness
00:58during this window is now an urgent question for pediatric health experts everywhere.
01:03Disclosure. This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
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