Cardiorespiratory Fitness And Body Composition In Mexican Adolescents: A Gender-specific Analysis Of Their Interrelation.

The locomotive behavior of individuals, encompassing physical activity (PA) and sedentary habits, serves as integral lifestyle determinants with either salubrious or deleterious effects on health across the lifespan. In adolescents, sedentary tendencies impinge on body composition and cardiorespiratory function. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) stands as a component of overall physical well-being, with its performance echelons intimately linked to health dividends during adolescence and an invigorated lifestyle. Sedentariness emerges as a salient predictor of escalated central adiposity and aggregate body fat proportionality, emphasizing the criticality of fostering dynamic lifestyles to bolster CRF and subsequent health outcomes. PURPOSE: To expound the nexus between CRF and body composition among Mexican adolescents. METHODS: This study evaluated 36 females (16.39 ± 0.72 years; 1.61 ± 0.59 m; 62.42 ± 19.60 kg; 23.49 ± 6.85 kg/m2) and 29 males (16.4 ± 0.74 years; 1.75 ± 0.75 m; 74.63 ± 13.38 kg; 24.25 ± 4.25 kg/m2). Body composition was quantified employing bioelectrical impedance via InBody 120, while CRF was assessed through VO2max using the Queens College Step Test. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for inferential statistics within Posit Cloud (R 4.3.2) at p < .05. RESULTS: A significant inverse correlation was established between body fat percentage and VO2max (r = -0.51, p < .001), with muscle mass demonstrating a positive correlation (r = 0.34, p = .004). Gender-disaggregated analyses revealed a notable negative correlation between VO2max with body mass (r = -0.41, p = .019) and muscle mass (r = -0.43, p = .012) in females. In males, a robust negative correlation was observed between VO2max with body fat percentage (r = -0.53, p = .002) and waist-to-hip ratio (r = -0.45, p = .013). CONCLUSIONS: The empirical evidence elucidates a robust association between adiposity distribution and aerobic competence in males, with females displaying a correlation between body mass, muscular strength, and constrained CRF levels. It is posited that future research should encompass dietary quality and PA quantification to discern pivotal phases where adolescents may exhibit limitations or health ramifications stemming from body composition incongruent with developmental stages.