Low cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with elevated adiposity markers among children and adolescents from Bogotá, Colombia: The Fuprecol Study

PURPOSE: Low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is independent risk factors for future cardio-metabolic disease in children and adolescents. The fitness versus fatness relationship has not been studied in a population-based sample in Latin America. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the CRF with adiposity markers among children and adolescents from Bogotá, Colombia.

METHODS: Cross-sectional study in 7,960 healthy Colombian youth (boys n=3,462 and girls n=4,494) residents in the metropolitan area of the District of Bogotá, Colombia (2480msnm). CRF was assessed with the 20-meter shuttle run test. Waist circumference (WC), body fat percentage-BF%, Σ skinfolds thicknesses (triceps + subscapular), body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were used as indicators of adiposity.

RESULTS: After adjusting for sex, age and sexual maturation, significant inverse relationships were observed between CRF and BMI (r = -0.360), BF% (r = -0.387), Σ skinfolds (r = -0.417), WC (r = - 0.258) and WHtR (r = -0.201), p < .001.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that high aerobic capacity is associated with less adiposity markers. Increasing CRF should be targets in youth primordial prevention strategies of future cardio-metabolic disease in adulthood.