title: Longer breastfeeding is associated with increased lower body explosive strength during adolescence.
abstract: Our aim in this study was to examine the association between breastfeeding duration and cardiorespiratory fitness, isometric strength, and explosive strength during adolescence. A total of 2567 adolescents (1426 girls) from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) cross-sectional study aged 12.5-17.5 y were included. Information about duration of any and exclusive breastfeeding was obtained retrospectively by means of a parental questionnaire. The 20-m shuttle run, handgrip strength, and standing long jump tests were used to assess physical fitness. Significant differences among the categories of breastfeeding duration were tested using ANCOVA after adjusting for a set of potential confounders: gestational and current age, birth weight, sexual maturation, fat mass, fat-free mass, maternal education, parental weight status, country, smoking behavior, and days of vigorous physical activity. Longer breastfeeding (either any or exclusive) was associated with a higher performance in the standing long jump test in both boys and girls (P < 0.001), regardless of fat mass, fat-free mass, and the rest of potential confounders. In adolescents who were breastfed for 3-5 mo or ≥6 mo, the risk of having a standing long jump performance below the 5th percentile was reduced by half compared with those who were never breastfed [odds ratio (OR) = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.30-0.96, P < 0.05; and OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.22-0.74, P < 0.01, respectively). These findings suggest a role of breastfeeding in determining lower body explosive strength during adolescence.
authors.affiliation: EFFECTS-262 Research Group, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada SP-18012, Spain. artero@ugr.es
authors.forename: Enrique G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Artero
authors.forename: Francisco B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Vanesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: España-Romero
authors.forename: Idoia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Labayen
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huybrechts
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papadaki
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mauro
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Widhalm
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kersting
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.forename: Denes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sjöström
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gottrand
authors.forename: Manuel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging; D000886:Anthropometry; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010809:Physical Fitness; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires