The Association between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Obesity Predictors in Healthy Young Adults: An Observational Study

Abstract Introduction: Obesity lowers cardio respitaory fitness (CRF) or maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) by exhausting the circulatory system and working muscles. There has not been enough research done on the Indian population to determine the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and obesity predictors including body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and body surface area (BSA) in a single plot. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and body fat parameters in young adults. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and nineteen respondents from the RUHS-College of Medical Sciences, Jaipur, India, were screened. A Harpenden skinfold caliper was used to determine their body fat percentage, after which a gas analyzer was used to determine their VO 2 max. BSA (m 2 ) was calculated using the Dubois equation. The “Pearson correlation coefficient” and “Student’s t -test” were applied for the statistical analysis. Results: The relationship between VO 2 max with BSA, body fat percentage, and BMI was inverse. The correlation ( r = −0.46) between body fat percentage and VO 2 max was greater than that of BMI or BSA ( r = −0.09 and r = −0.21, respectively). Both genders with normal BMI had the greatest VO 2 max (47.22 ± 6.94; 37.75 ± 4.88 ml/kg/min). The maximum VO 2 max (46.726.81; 38.744.08 ml/kg/min) is found in both men and women who fall into the fitness group of body fat percentage. Conclusion: Increased BMI, body fat percentage, and BSA are associated with decreased levels of V̇O 2 max. Compared to BMI and BSA, body fat percentage is a better indicator of obesity. Thus, encouraging people to reduce their body fat percentage and obesity would improve their cardiorespiratory fitness.