Aerobic fitness and visceral adipose tissue in children.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between aerobic fitness (peak VO2) and the volume of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in children.


METHODS
Participants were 30 males (13.7+/-0.5 y) and 22 females (13.5+/-0.5 y). Peak VO2 was determined using a continuous, incremental treadmill protocol to exhaustion. Abdominal VAT volume was measured by magnetic resonance imaging using multiple slices from vertebral levels L1-L5. Subcutaneous body fat measure was calculated as the sum of seven skinfolds (sigma7SKF).


RESULTS
Females had significantly (p < or = 0.05) more VAT than males (1035+/-717.3 vs 678.6+/-361.5 cm3); however, male peak VO2 was higher (215+/-34 vs 182+/-20 ml/kg(0.61)/min). VAT was significantly (p < or = 0.05) negatively correlated with peak VO2 in both males (r = - 0.43) and females (r = - 0.45). Subcutaneous body fatness was significantly correlated with VAT in both males (r = 0.74) and females (r = 0.72), and was the single strongest determinant of VAT.


CONCLUSIONS
Aerobic fitness is significantly inversely related to VAT, but subcutaneous body fatness is the single strongest determinant of VAT in children aged 13-14 y.
Winsley
Richard J
RJ
Children's Health & Exercise Research Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK. r.j.winsley@exeter.ac.uk
Armstrong
Neil
N
Middlebrooke
Andrew R
AR
Ramos-Ibanez
Norma
N
Williams
Craig A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*