title: Physical fitness does not reflect physical activity patterns in middle-aged workers.
abstract: Questionnaires and a sub-maximal exercise test were used to assess occupational and leisure time physical activity as well as physical fitness in a standardized prospective study in 2,565 Belgian and Slovakian middle-aged healthy workers. Less than 5% of the subjects engaged in strenuous work requiring an energy expenditure above 31.5 kJ.min-1. One-third of the Belgians and 50% of the Slovakians reported no heavy leisure time activity during the preceding 12 months. Physical fitness, defined as the workload at heart rate 150 beats.min-1 (standardized for body weight), was significantly higher in Slovakians as compared to Belgians (1.52 +/- 0.28 W.kg-1 and 1.48 +/- 0.28 W.kg-1; P less than 0.001). Occupational physical activity in Belgians and heavy leisure time activity in Slovakians were independently related to fitness levels. However, each activity score explained less than 1% of the variance of physical fitness. We conclude that in these mainly sedentary, middle-aged subjects, fitness levels are independent from the usual physical activity patterns.
authors.affiliation: Medical Cardiology Service, Hôpital Académique Erasme-C.U.B., Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sobolski
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kolesar
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Kornitzer
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: De Backer
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Mikes
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dramaix
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Degre
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Denolin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003604:Czechoslovakia; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010809:Physical Fitness; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014937:Work
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides