Aerobic fitness in prepubertal children according to level of body fat.
OBJECTIVE
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Dencker
Magnus
M
Department of Clinical Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden. magnus.dencker@skane.se
Bugge
Anna
A
Hermansen
Bianca
B
Froberg
Karsten
K
Andersen
Lars B
LB
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D002153:Calorimetry, Indirect; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*