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Aerobic fitness in prepubertal children according to level of body fat
Author(s) -
Dencker Magnus,
Bugge Anna,
Hermansen Bianca,
Froberg Karsten,
Andersen Lars B
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2010.01952.x
Subject(s) - medicine , vo2 max , quartile , population , aerobic exercise , zoology , body fat percentage , physical fitness , body mass index , physical therapy , confidence interval , heart rate , biology , environmental health , blood pressure
Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between maximum oxygen uptake (VO 2PEAK ) and body fat in young children on a population‐based level. Methods: Participants were 586 children (311 boys and 275 girls) aged 6.8 ± 0.4 years, recruited from a population‐based cohort. VO 2PEAK was measured by indirect calorimetry during a maximal exercise test. Percent body fat (BF%) was estimated from skinfold measurements. Results: Significant relationships existed between BF% and absolute values of VO 2PEAK (mL/min), VO 2PEAK scaled by body weight (mL/min/kg) and VO 2PEAK by allometric scaling (mL/min/kg 0.71 ), whereas no relationships were detected for VO 2PEAK scaled to fat‐free mass (FFM) (mL/min/FFM). Person correlation coefficients for boys were 0.26, −0.38, −0.19 and −0.01 NS and for girls 0.33, −0.42, −0.21 and −0.03 NS, respectively. Significant differences in VO 2PEAK existed between different quartiles of BF%, with the exception when VO 2PEAK was scaled to FFM. Conclusion: Our findings document the coexistence of two known risk factors for disease at a young age on a population‐base and confirms that VO 2PEAK was scaled to FFM represents a body fat independent way of expressing fitness.