Relationship between abdominal adiposity, cardiovascular fitness, and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in British adolescents

Background:Puberty is a critical time in the development of overweight and obesity.The aim of this study was to examine relationships between measures of adiposity,cardiovascular fitness,and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk in adolescents.Methods:In a cross-sectional study design,129 girls and 95 boys aged 12.9-14.4 years at various stages of puberty were included,along with their mothers(n=217)and fathers(n=207).Anthropometric assessments of adiposity were made,along with cardiovascular physical fitness,using the 20-m shuttle run test,and biomarkers associated with cardiovascular risk,including glucose,insulin,triglyceride,fibrinogen,and C-reactive protein(CRP)concentrations.Results:Waist-to-height ratio values were similar in boys and girls and correlated positively with diastolic blood pressure,insulin,triglyceride,fibrinogen,and CRP concentrations,and inversely with cardiovascular fitness scores.Skinfold thickness measurements were higher in girls.High-molecular-weight adiponectin concentrations were lower in boys than girls,particularly in late puberty,and CRP levels were higher.Cardiovascular fitness,maternal body mass index(BMI),and paternal BMI contributed independently to the variance in waist measurements in girls and boys.Gender,triceps skinfold thickness,and weight-to-height ratio,but not parental BMI,contributed independently to the variance in cardiovascular fitness.Conclusion:There is a relationship between measures of adolescent adiposity and parental weight that involves factors other than cardiovascular fitness.Adolescent boys have relatively more abdominal fat than girls and a tendency to have a proinflammatory profile of biomarkers.These observations suggest that family and social environmental interventions are best undertaken earlier in childhood,particularly among boys.

Effects of 3 months of full-court and half-court street basketball training on health profile in untrained men

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether street basketball organized as 3 v 3 on either a half court(HC) with 1 basket or a full court(FC) with 2 baskets could improve fitness and health profiles of untrained men after 3 months of supervised training.Methods: Thirty-five untrained men(aged 20—42 years) completed the pre-and post-intervention testing(FC: n = 13, HC: n = 12, CO(control):n = 10). The training attendance was 2.0 ± 0.4 and 1.9 ± 0.3 times per week in FC and HC, respectively. Mean heart rate(HR) was 83.8 ± 6.0 percent of maximal heart rate(%HR_(max)) and 84.5 ± 2.9 %HR_(max) in FC and HC, respectively.Results: The 3 months of street basketball training on an FC with 2 baskets increased maximal oxygen uptake(2.4 mL/min/kg(95% confidence interval(CI): 1.0—3.9)), time to exhaustion(47 s(95%CI: 26—67)), lean body mass(0.8 kg(95%CI: 0.1—1.5)), and bone mineral density(0.021 g/cm^2(95%CI: 0.011—0.031)), whereas mean arterial pressure(—5.6 mm Hg(95%CI: —7.5 to 3.7)), body fat percentage(—1.6%,(95%CI: —2.5 to —0.7)), heart rate(—18 bpm(95%CI: —24 to —12)), and blood lactate(median: —1.4 mmol/L(interquartile range: —1.5 to —0.6)) during submaximal running were lowered. The changes were less pronounced after the training period when playing on an HC with 1 basket, but increases in maximal oxygen uptake(1.6 mL/min/kg(95%CI: —0.1 to 3.3)), time to exhaustion(28 s(95%CI: 9—47)), lean body mass(1.3 kg(95%CI: 0.3—2.4)), and lower body fat percentage(—0.9%(95%CI: —1.9 to —0.1)) were observed in this group.Conclusion: Three months of 3 v 3 street basketball training improved fitness and led to broad-spectrum improvements in variables related to overall health profile, with the most marked effects observed when playing on an FC with 2 baskets.