title: Serum Vitamin D status and its relations to body fatness and fitness and risk factors in young adults.
abstract: The study examined the relations of serum vitamin D levels to body fatness, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and metabolic risk factors in young adults in Korea. A total of 593 young men completed a health examination, body fatness, maximal treadmill exercise test, and assessment of metabolic risk factors. Participants were classified by serum vitamin D levels as deficient (< 20 ng/mL), insufficient (20~30 ng/mL), and sufficient (> 30 ng/mL). Body fatness, CRF, and metabolic risk factors were evaluated according to serum vitamin D classification. Significant inverse trends in body fatness and metabolic risk factors were observed, as was a significant linear trend for CRF across incremental vitamin D categories in this study population. Serum vitamin D levels were negatively associated with body fatness parameters, blood pressures, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin and positively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and CRF. Compared to the BMI-based lean group, the obese groups had significantly higher odds ratio for serum vitamin D insufficiency before and after adjusting for age, CRF, and physical activity. Similarly, compared to percent body fat- and waist circumference-based lean groups, the obese groups had significant higher odds ratios for serum vitamin D insufficiency. In conclusion, the current findings of the study suggest that along with vitamin D intakes, body fat loss and outdoor physical activity should be promoted as non-pharmacologic means to improve metabolic risk factors in young adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Prescription, Dongseo University, Pusan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jinkook
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jiyoung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeryun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Changduk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: College of Sport Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyunsik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kang
keywords: body fatness; cardiorespiratory fitness; metabolic risk factors; vitamin D