Cardiovascular fitness in adolescents: The influence of sexual maturation status—The AVENA and EYHS studies

Abstract

The purposes were: (1) to determine the influence of sexual maturation status and body composition by comparing cardiovascular fitness (CVF) level in two adolescent populations from the south and the north of Europe; (2) to describe the associations between CVF and sexual maturation status in adolescence. A total of 1,867 Spanish adolescents from the AVENA study and 472 from the Swedish part of the EYHS were selected for this report (aged 14-16 years). CVF (expressed by the maximal oxygen consumption) was estimated from 20 m shuttle run test in the AVENA study and from a maximal ergometer cycle test in the EYHS. Sexual maturation status was classified according to Tanner stages. Body fat percentage (BF%) was estimated from skinfold thicknesses. Expressing CVF in different ways (in absolute value and in relation to weight or fat free mass; FFM) resulted in two different results with regard to CVF interpretation and comparison between the study populations. A higher CVF, as expressed in relation to FFM, was observed in the Spanish when compared to Swedish adolescents (P = 0.001). However, after adjusting for both sexual maturation status and BF%, the difference disappeared in males, while it remained significant in females (P = 0.001). CVF was negatively associated with sexual maturation status in males (P = 0.001). However, after adjusting for BF%, the association disappeared in males, while it was significant in females (P = 0.05). These results suggest that for CVF comparisons and interpretation in adolescent populations, sexual maturation status and BF%, as well as the way to express the CVF, should be taken into account.

Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and body fat in girls

“…The adolescents in the post-pubertal stage were more likely to have low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness. These findings corroborate other school-based studies carried out with a representative sample of girls in Brazil28 and in Europe 10. When assessing girls from the state of Sergipe (9-14 years),28 the influence of sexual maturation on cardiorespiratory fitness showed a significant ( p <0.0001) and medium-sized effect (Eta 2 =0.069, power=1) on the VO 2 max.…”

“…When assessing girls from the state of Sergipe (9-14 years),28 the influence of sexual maturation on cardiorespiratory fitness showed a significant ( p <0.0001) and medium-sized effect (Eta 2 =0.069, power=1) on the VO 2 max. In Spanish and Swedish girls (13-18.5 years),10 cardiorespiratory fitness was negatively associated with sexual maturation, even after controlling for body fat. This suggests that body fat is a modifying factor of cardiorespiratory fitness.…”

“…Adolescents with excess body fat have lower cardiorespiratory fitness,6 , 10 , 11 predominantly girls 10. The increased gain in adiposity in adolescence is associated with the onset of puberty, at which stage girls, through action of the hormone estrogen, tend to accumulate higher amounts of body fat 12.…”

“…The increased gain in adiposity in adolescence is associated with the onset of puberty, at which stage girls, through action of the hormone estrogen, tend to accumulate higher amounts of body fat 12. However, there is a study that reports a negative association between cardiorespiratory fitness and sexual maturation, which controlled the percentage of body fat in girls10 and may indicate changes in cardiorespiratory fitness during the maturational and physical development.…”

Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence: a powerful marker of health

“…However, researchers aiming to compare cardiorespiratory fitness level between groups of young people should care the way in which the VO 2max is expressed (that is, ml min À1 kg À1 of body mass or ml min À1 kg À1 of fat-free mass or l min À1 ), since it can influence the results and interpretation, leading to misleading conclusions ( Figure 1). 14 The VO 2max can be estimated using maximal or submaximal tests, by direct or indirect methods. The most commonly used tests are walking/running tests followed by cycling and step tests.…”