Associations between health- and skill-related physical fitness indicators and cardiometabolic risk factors among Chinese adults: findings from a community-based cross-sectional study

Background To determine the relationship between health- and skill-related physical fitness indicators and cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) in Chinese adults. Methods A total of 925 participants (483 males and 442 females) in Longhua district, Shenzhen, China were included in this study. Physical fitness assessments were conducted using an all-in-one machine. CMRFs, including blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose concentration, lipid and lipoprotein profiles and uric acid, were measured with standard methods. Linear regression models were used for analysis. Results Among health-related physical fitness indicators, body fat mass, body fat percentage and sit-and-reach score were positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and/or systolic blood pressure, while step index score was inversely associated with DBP in the fully adjusted models (all p < 0.05). Push-up, curl-up, and grip strength scores were not significantly associated with any CMRFs. Among skill-related physical fitness indicators, one-leg standing time was inversely associated with DBP, while choice reaction time was positively associated with concentrations of fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and the ratio of LDL-C to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the fully adjusted models (all p < 0.05). Vertical jump score was not significantly associated with CMRFs. Conclusion In conclusion, our study unveils the interplay between various health- and skill-related physical fitness indicators and CMRFs in healthy adults. These findings underscore that improvements in physical fitness, specifically body composition, cardiovascular fitness, and reaction time, were associated with favorable CMRF profiles.