title: Cardiovascular fitness, physical activity, and metabolic syndrome risk factors among adolescent estonian boys: A longitudinal study.
abstract: The aim was to examine the changes in metabolic syndrome risk factors over a 2-year period, and to investigate the independent influence of baseline physical activity (PA) and cardiovascular fitness (CVF) on these changes.
  
  
  
  120 Estonian boys (age at baseline 11.9 ± 0.1 years) were grouped according to baseline PA or CVF/kg (VO2max/kg) and CVF/LBM(VO2max/LBM). PA was assessed by 7-day accelerometry. Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TRG), insulin and glucose were measured and assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and TC/HDL ratio were calculated.
  
  
  
  In both CVF/kgand CVF/LBM, the low CVF groups had significantly higher values of HOMA-IR (P < 0.009) over time. In TRG and TC/HDL ratio values the only significant difference over time emerged between CVF/kggroups (P < 0.001). Participants in high metabolic risk CVF/kggroup were 5.9 times more likely to have high HOMA-IR values, 2.9 times more likely to have high triglyceride values, and 3.5 times more likely to have high TC/HDL ratio values (P ≤ 0.045) in the second year follow-up compared to those who were in the low metabolic risk CVF/kggroup. In moderate-to-vigorous PA groups there were no significant differences between HOMA-IR, TRG, and TC/HDL ratio values over time.
  
  
  
  The results of the study indicate that CVF has a stronger longitudinal prediction value compared to moderate to vigorous physical activity in terms of metabolic risk factors in adolescent boys. Fitness remained a significant predictor if the influence of body fatness was removed from the analysis. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:782-788, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Evelin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lätt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Jarek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäestu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Triin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rääsk
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Toivo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jürimäe
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sport Sciences and Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Jaak
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jürimäe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D004957:Estonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids