Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines and Their Association With Cardiometabolic Indicators in Adolescents With Different Weight Status

The cardiometabolic health benefits of meeting physical activity guidelines for the general population are clear, but it is uncertain if adolescents with obesity experience the same advantages. Thus, we examined the link between adherence to aerobic physical activity, muscle-strengthening activities guidelines, and cardiometabolic indicators in adolescents with different weight status from São José, Southern Brazil. This cross-sectional study comprises 353 adolescents (44.5% male; age, 16.6 ± 1.0 years) with different weight status from São José, Southern Brazil. Information regarding aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activities was obtained through a self-reported questionnaire. Overweight and obesity were defined using the age- and sex-specific criteria of the World Health Organization. Cardiometabolic indicators investigated as outcomes were systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), waist circumference (WC), high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lipid profile, and glucose metabolism markers. Multiple linear regression models adjusted for confounding factors were used to investigate the associations of interest. Regardless of weight status, meeting aerobic physical activity guidelines was inversely associated with SBP [-3.2 mmHg, standard error (SE) = 0.23], and total cholesterol (-2.4 mg/dL, SE = 0.28). Among overweight/obesity adolescents, meeting aerobic physical activity / muscle-strengthening activities guidelines was inversely associated with WC (-5.11 cm, SE = 0.77), triglycerides (0.40 times lower, SE = 0.01), and hs-CRP (0.32 times lower, SE = 0.16). Even among overweight/obese adolescents, meeting aerobic physical activity and muscle-strengthening activity guidelines can be a relevant strategy for reducing cardiometabolic risk, given the reduction in WC, triglycerides, and hs-CRP.