Physical activity may facilitate diabetes prevention in adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the association of physical activity with glucose tolerance and resting energy expenditure (REE) among adolescents.


METHODS
Subjects were 32 male and female adolescents aged 12-18 years. Intravenous glucose tolerance (K(g)) and REE were assessed under inpatient conditions after an overnight fast. K(g) was determined as the inverse slope of time versus (ln) glucose over minutes 8-19 of an intravenous glucose tolerance test. Physical activity was assessed over 8 days using accelerometry (counts per minute).


RESULTS
In multiple linear regression analysis, K(g) was positively associated with total physical activity (TPA), moderate physical activity (MPA), and 5-min bouts of MPA. Similarly, REE was positively associated with TPA, MPA, and 5-min bouts of MPA.


CONCLUSIONS
In this population, physical activity was positively related to both glucose tolerance and REE. These results suggest that moderate activity may be beneficial in the prevention of diabetes in adolescent populations both through promoting efficient glucose disposal and through increasing energy expenditure.
Department of Nutrition Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. amysusan@uab.edu
Amy S
AS
Thomas
Lori F
LF
Greene
Jamy D
JD
Ard
Robert A
RA
Oster
Betty E
BE
Darnell
Barbara A
BA
Gower
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000293:Adolescent; D001481:Basal Metabolism; D044383:Black People; D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D044465:White People