What Physical Fitness Component Is Most Closely Associated With Adolescents' Blood Pressure?

Abstract

This study aimed to determine which of four selected physical fitness variables, would be most associated with blood pressure changes (systolic and diastolic) in a large sample of adolescents. This was a descriptive and cross-sectional, epidemiological study of 1,117 adolescents aged 14-19 years from southern Brazil. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured by a digital pressure device, and the selected physical fitness variables were body composition (body mass index), flexibility (sit-and-reach test), muscle strength/resistance (manual dynamometer), and aerobic fitness (Modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test). Simple and multiple linear regression analyses revealed that aerobic fitness and muscle strength/resistance best explained variations in systolic blood pressure for boys (17.3% and 7.4% of variance) and girls (7.4% of variance). Aerobic fitness, body composition, and muscle strength/resistance are all important indicators of blood pressure control, but aerobic fitness was a stronger predictor of systolic blood pressure in boys and of diastolic blood pressure in both sexes.

Diversity of parameters in the muscle strength evaluation of Brazilian school children and adolescents: a systematic review

“…Regarding the location of these studies, it was identified that the Southern and Southeastern regions of Brazil were those that most published articles on MS in children and adolescents, with 18 studies 7-9,12-27 . Regarding the design of included studies, 22 had cross-sectional 3,7-9,14-21, [23][24][25][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and five longitudinal design 12,13,22,26,36 (Table 1). The studies covered different primary goals as can be observed in Table 1; however, all of them performed MS measurements as defined in the present study.…”

“…Freitas et al, 35 Montes Claros, MG No study was classified with low methodological quality / high risk of bias. Moderate methodological quality/moderate risk of bias was verified in ten studies (37.0%) 7,12,13,15,19,21,23,26,28,29 , while seventeen studies … continue (67.0%) 3,8,9,14,16,17,20,22,24,25,27,[30][31][32][33]35,36 were classified with high methodological quality / low risk of bias (Table 2). MS was investigated in fourteen different ways.…”

“…MS was investigated in fourteen different ways. HJ was used to identify MS levels in 16 studies 12,13,15,16,[19][20][21]23,27,[29][30][31][32][33]35,36 ; in 15 studies, MS was investigated through HGS 3,8,9,12,15,17,20,22,[24][25][26]28,33,35,36 ; in four studies, vertical jump without the aid of arms (VJWAA) was used to evaluate MS 12,20,22,26 ; in four other studies, TMB was used 16,23,29,30 ; in two studies the isokinetic strength of knee extensors (IFKE) was used as a reference for MS 14,21 ; in two other studies, MS was investigated through vertical jump using arms (VJUA) 14,21 ; the maximal repetition in the horizontal bench press (1MRBP) and a maximal repetition in the leg press (1MRLP) tests were used to measure MS levels in one study 7 ; the tests of a maximal repetition in the extensor table (1MRET) and a maximum repetition in the biceps curl (1MRBC) thread were used in another study…”

“…In the present review, 27 studies that investigated MS in children and adolescents were identified, and a large number of these studies were published after 2010 [7][8][9]17,[19][20][21][22][23][24][25][27][28][29][30][31]33,35,36 , demonstrating that the subject has current research in the Brazilian scenario. Although the body of evidence regarding the cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits attributed to MS are unambiguous 4,5 , it is speculated that the contemporary consolidation of recommendations for MS improvement in children and adolescents 1 could justify the recent research relating MS in studies with children and adolescents.…”

Association of Fatness and Leg Power with Blood Pressure in Adolescents

“…Recent evidence from both observational and prospective studies in high-and middle-income societies has shown overweight youth with low leg muscle power exhibit unfavorable cardiometabolic disease risk, including high BP [20,21]. Although HTN, like in the developed world is becoming a health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, the significance of fatness and leg muscle power in the development of HTN remains to be fully investigated among Nigerian youth.…”