Associations between physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in adults living in Germany: A cross-sectional study.
<h4>Background & aims</h4>Body composition (BC) changes with age and is associated with morbidity and mortality. A physically active lifestyle influences BC and represents an important predictor of successful aging. To emphasize this, the World Health Organization established activit...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293555 |
| _version_ | 1797640291799269376 |
|---|---|
| author | Raphael Schilling Steffen C E Schmidt Janis Fiedler Alexander Woll |
| author_facet | Raphael Schilling Steffen C E Schmidt Janis Fiedler Alexander Woll |
| author_sort | Raphael Schilling |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background & aims</h4>Body composition (BC) changes with age and is associated with morbidity and mortality. A physically active lifestyle influences BC and represents an important predictor of successful aging. To emphasize this, the World Health Organization established activity recommendations for all age groups. We describe BC during adulthood using a cross-sectional sample from a German community and investigate the associations between physical activity (PA), physical fitness (PF), and BC.<h4>Methods</h4>Data from 329 men and women aged 35 to 86 years were analyzed. PA was measured by questionnaire and classified into sport activity and habitual activity. PF was measured through physical performance tests and BC by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) were calculated to represent height-adjusted BC. Associations between PA, PF, and BC were analyzed using linear regression models.<h4>Results</h4>For both sexes, strength was positively associated with FFMI (♂: ß = 0.313; ♀: ß = 0.213) and phase angle (♂: ß = 0.357; ♀: ß = 0.409). For FMI, a significant negative association with strength was found only in women (ß = -0.189). Cardiorespiratory fitness showed a negative association with FMI (ß = -0.312) and FFMI (ß = -0.201) for men, while in women a positive association was found for FFMI (ß = 0.186). For coordination, a significant association with FMI was observed only in women (ß = -0.190). Regarding PA only one significant relationship between sport activity and FMI among women (ß = -0.170) was found.<h4>Conclusions</h4>In our sample, PF was closer related to BC than PA. Strength and cardiorespiratory fitness were the strongest predictors for BC. This supports the World Health Organization's activity recommendations to include both resistance and endurance training in the weekly sports program to maintain a healthy BC. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:28:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c5279f74c53148e59ba08dd6dad0909e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:28:52Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-c5279f74c53148e59ba08dd6dad0909e2023-11-03T05:32:41ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032023-01-011810e029355510.1371/journal.pone.0293555Associations between physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in adults living in Germany: A cross-sectional study.Raphael SchillingSteffen C E SchmidtJanis FiedlerAlexander Woll<h4>Background & aims</h4>Body composition (BC) changes with age and is associated with morbidity and mortality. A physically active lifestyle influences BC and represents an important predictor of successful aging. To emphasize this, the World Health Organization established activity recommendations for all age groups. We describe BC during adulthood using a cross-sectional sample from a German community and investigate the associations between physical activity (PA), physical fitness (PF), and BC.<h4>Methods</h4>Data from 329 men and women aged 35 to 86 years were analyzed. PA was measured by questionnaire and classified into sport activity and habitual activity. PF was measured through physical performance tests and BC by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Fat mass index (FMI) and fat-free mass index (FFMI) were calculated to represent height-adjusted BC. Associations between PA, PF, and BC were analyzed using linear regression models.<h4>Results</h4>For both sexes, strength was positively associated with FFMI (♂: ß = 0.313; ♀: ß = 0.213) and phase angle (♂: ß = 0.357; ♀: ß = 0.409). For FMI, a significant negative association with strength was found only in women (ß = -0.189). Cardiorespiratory fitness showed a negative association with FMI (ß = -0.312) and FFMI (ß = -0.201) for men, while in women a positive association was found for FFMI (ß = 0.186). For coordination, a significant association with FMI was observed only in women (ß = -0.190). Regarding PA only one significant relationship between sport activity and FMI among women (ß = -0.170) was found.<h4>Conclusions</h4>In our sample, PF was closer related to BC than PA. Strength and cardiorespiratory fitness were the strongest predictors for BC. This supports the World Health Organization's activity recommendations to include both resistance and endurance training in the weekly sports program to maintain a healthy BC.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293555 |
| spellingShingle | Raphael Schilling Steffen C E Schmidt Janis Fiedler Alexander Woll Associations between physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in adults living in Germany: A cross-sectional study. PLoS ONE |
| title | Associations between physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in adults living in Germany: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_full | Associations between physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in adults living in Germany: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_fullStr | Associations between physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in adults living in Germany: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations between physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in adults living in Germany: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_short | Associations between physical activity, physical fitness, and body composition in adults living in Germany: A cross-sectional study. |
| title_sort | associations between physical activity physical fitness and body composition in adults living in germany a cross sectional study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0293555 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT raphaelschilling associationsbetweenphysicalactivityphysicalfitnessandbodycompositioninadultslivingingermanyacrosssectionalstudy AT steffenceschmidt associationsbetweenphysicalactivityphysicalfitnessandbodycompositioninadultslivingingermanyacrosssectionalstudy AT janisfiedler associationsbetweenphysicalactivityphysicalfitnessandbodycompositioninadultslivingingermanyacrosssectionalstudy AT alexanderwoll associationsbetweenphysicalactivityphysicalfitnessandbodycompositioninadultslivingingermanyacrosssectionalstudy |