Cardiovascular fitness modifies the associations between physical activity and abdominal adiposity in children and adolescents: the European Youth Heart Study

• Published in: British journal of sports medicine Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 256 - 262
• Main Authors: Ortega, F B, Ruiz, J R, Hurtig-Wennlöf, A, Vicente-Rodríguez, G, Rizzo, N S, Castillo, M J, Sjöström, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine 01.03.2010; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adiposity - physiology; Adolescent; Body fat; Body mass index; Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; Cardiovascular system; Children & youth; Childrens health; Energy Metabolism; Exercise; Exercise - physiology; Female; Girls; Heart; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Idrott; Idrottsvetenskap; INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Metabolism; Obesity, Abdominal - pathology; Obesity, Abdominal - physiopathology; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Physical fitness; Physical Fitness - physiology; Sports; Sports Science; Studies; Teenagers; TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN; Waist Circumference
• ISSN: 0306-3674; 1473-0480; 1473-0480
• DOI: 10.1136/bjsm.2008.046391

Objective To examine the associations between physical activity (PA) and abdominal adiposity, as measured by waist circumference, in children and adolescents, and to test whether cardiovascular fitness (CVF) modifies these associations. Methods PA components were measured by accelerometry in 1075 individuals aged 9 or 15 years old. CVF was measured by a maximal cycling test. Self-reported maternal educational level, body mass index, children's birth weight and television viewing were used as confounders. Results Linear regression did not show any association between the PA variables and waist circumference, after controlling for sex, age and height. When stratifying by CVF level (low/high), time spent at vigorous PA was inversely associated with waist circumference (p≤0.05) in the low CVF group. Unexpectedly, in the high CVF group, the PA variables were positively associated with waist circumference (p≤0.05). In both groups, the results were unchanged after controlling for the confounders. CVF was inversely associated with waist circumference, after controlling for all PA variables (p≤0.01) and confounders (p≤0.01). Conclusion CVF is inversely associated with abdominal adiposity and seems to modify the associations between PA and abdominal adiposity. In low-fit children and adolescents, time spent in vigorous PA seems to be the key component linked to abdominal adiposity. This finding should be considered in further development of lifestyle intervention strategies. The results found in the high-fit group need to be confirmed.