High cardiorespiratory fitness is inversely associated with incidence of overweight in adolescence: A longitudinal study

Abstract

To assess the association of baseline cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with incidence of overweight over a 4.6-year period in adolescence. In a cohort of 4878 adolescents, we assessed body mass index in years 2001-2003 and 2007. CRF was assessed at baseline as maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max , mL/kg/min) using the 20-m shuttle run test and was examined against incidence of overweight at follow-up. Estimated VO2max at baseline was higher in males than in females, P < 0.001, and was lower in overweight and obese than in non-overweight subjects. The incidence of overweight at follow-up among non-overweight participants at baseline was 15.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 13.7% to 17.3%] in males and 5.6% (95% CI 4.9% to 7.0%) in females, P < 0.001. Adjusted odds ratio for incidence of overweight in participants in the fourth quartile of VO2max was 0.40 (95%CI 0.26 to 0.61) in males and 0.57 (95% CI 0.33 to 0.99) in females in comparison with participants in the first quartiles of VO2max . Incidence of overweight was three times more frequent in males than in females. Among non-overweight at baseline, high fitness levels were inversely associated with incidence of overweight at follow-up, suggesting that interventions aiming to increase CRF in early childhood might help reverse increasing trends in obesity.

Androgen receptor gene polymorphism influence fat accumulation: A longitudinal study from adolescence to adult age

“…normal-weight adolescents with high VO 2max (pertaining to the fourth quartile of VO 2max ) have lower risk of becoming overweight 4-6 years later (OR: 0.40) compared with the subjects in the first quartile of VO 2max (Savva et al, 2014). Despite the latter, a recent study has shown that a 7% increase of VO 2max elicited by highintensity training was not associated to increased maximal fat oxidation capacity (Larsen et al, 2015).…”

Do physical activity, commuting mode, cardiorespiratory fitness and sedentary behaviours modify the genetic predisposition to higher BMI? Findings from a UK Biobank study

“…Twin studies of cardiorespiratory fitness -the ability of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to working muscles during sustained physical activity -suggest ~25-65% heritability in this trait, indicating important contributions of both environment and genes. 24 There is evidence that fitness is associated with prospective changes in adiposity, [25][26][27] and this may be independent of self-reported physical activity. 27 However, to date, no studies have investigated whether cardiorespiratory fitness could modulate the association between GPRS-obesity and BMI.…”

The relationship between physical fitness and obesity among a sample of adolescents in Cyprus

“…In line with other European and International studies, a recent study performed in Cyprus by Savva et al reported that high cardiorespiratory fitness levels at baseline were inversely associated with adolescence overweight and obesity 4 years later (7) . However, no other physical fitness related-parameters, such as muscular strength and fitness, which are known to affect adolescence obesity (24) , have been assessed in the above study, nor any other data are available for Cyprus regarding these parameters in the adolescent population.…”

“…According to published reports, obese adolescents are more likely to become obese adults (5) , while being overweight during youth could have a negative impact on health-related quality of life in the future (14) . Previous data from Cyprus (with regards the year 2007) reported an adolescence obesity prevalence of 8.2% in males and 3.4% in females (7) . In the present study, adolescent obesity affected 11.8% of males and 2.5% of females confirming this projection.…”

“…It is noteworthy that the findings of a recent Cyprus study revealed that obesity was inversely related to high cardiovascular fitness (7) . However, no other physical fitness components, such as muscular fitness, sprinting ability and flexibility parameters, were ever assessed.…”