Health-related physical fitness in middle-aged men with and without metabolic syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
Objective of the study was to compare health-related physical fitness (HRPF) between men with and without metabolic syndrome (MS) and to evaluate the risk of being unfit associated with MS.


METHODS
The study included 79 middle-aged civil servant men (46.2 ± 8.4 years) who underwent a physical annual evaluation to access HRPF as follows: BMI; cardiorespiratory fitness by Ebbeling test (VO(2max)), flexibility by sit-and-reach test (SRT), muscular strength by handgrip test (HDT) and vertical jump test (VJT) and muscular endurance by push-up test (PUT). MS was defined by the ATP III (2009) criteria. Comparisons were performed with the Mann-Whitney test and univariate General Linear Model was used for age-adjusted analysis. Odds ratio (OR-95% CI) was calculated to evaluate the odds of the MS group to be unfit and the odds of having MS according to the HRPF levels.


RESULTS
Nineteen volunteers (24.1%) with MS were identified. After age adjustment, VO(2max) and BMI were significantly different in the MS group than in the non-MS group: 39.7 vs. 44.8 mL.kg-1.min⁻¹ and 29.4 vs. 25.7 kg/m² (P<0.05) and PUT tended to be lower in men with MS (16 vs. 21 repetition; P=0.06). Blood pressure ≥ 130/85 mmHg was the most prevalent MS criterion, associated with lower VO(max) (40.3 vs. 45.6 mL.kg⁻¹.min⁻¹) and SRT (22.2 vs. 28 cm), and higher BMI (28.9 vs. 25.3 kg/m²) (P<0.05). The OR of being unfit for VO2max and BMI in the MS group were 6.5 (1.9-22.6) and 5.7 (1.2-26.8). The odds of having MS increased by 23% (3-45%) for each BMI unit increase, irrespectively to age.


CONCLUSIONS
MS group showed lower VO(2max), PUT, higher BMI and a greater risk of being unfit compared to the non-MS one. The proportion of MS was 3.4-fold higher within those with lower VO(2max). Small reductions on BMI may produce significant decrease on MS prevalence.
Health Sciences Postgraduation Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Health Coordination of the Brazilian Superior, Labor Court, Brasilia, Brazil - luizporto@unb.br.
K S
KS
Mileski
J L
JL
Leitão
A
A
Lofrano-Porto
L G
LG
Grossi Porto
D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*