title: Associations of maximal strength and muscular endurance with cardiovascular risk factors.
abstract: The aim was to study the associations of maximal strength and muscular endurance with single and clustered cardiovascular risk factors. Muscular endurance, maximal strength, cardiorespiratory fitness and waist circumference were measured in 686 young men (25±5 years). Cardiovascular risk factors (plasma glucose, serum high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure) were determined. The risk factors were transformed to z-scores and the mean of values formed clustered cardiovascular risk factor. Muscular endurance was inversely associated with triglycerides, s-LDL-cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure (β=-0.09 to - 0.23, p<0.05), and positively with s-HDL cholesterol (β=0.17, p<0.001) independent of cardiorespiratory fitness. Muscular endurance was negatively associated with the clustered cardiovascular risk factor independent of cardiorespiratory fitness (β=-0.26, p<0.05), whereas maximal strength was not associated with any of the cardiovascular risk factors or the clustered cardiovascular risk factor independent of cardiorespiratory fitness. Furthermore, cardiorespiratory fitness was inversely associated with triglycerides, s-LDL-cholesterol and the clustered cardiovascular risk factor (β=-0.14 to - 0.24, p<0.005), as well as positively with s-HDL cholesterol (β=0.11, p<0.05) independent of muscular fitness. This cross-sectional study demonstrated that in young men muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory fitness were independently associated with the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors, whereas maximal strength was not.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Leadership and Military Pedagogy, National Defence University, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Vaara
authors.affiliation: The Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fogelholm
authors.affiliation: The UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Finland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vasankari
authors.affiliation: Finnish Defence Forces, Personnel Division, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santtila
authors.affiliation: The Department of Biology of Physical Activity, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, United States.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Häkkinen
authors.affiliation: The Department of Leadership and Military Pedagogy, National Defence University, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kyröläinen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides