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Objectives: To examine the relationship between physical fitness and physical activity (PA) with specific abdominal fat depots and their potential implications for cardiometabolic risk and insulin resistance (IR) in children with overweight/obesity. Materials and Methods: A total of 116 children with overweight/obesity (10.7 ± 1.1 year, 54% girls) participated in the study. Abdominal visceral (VAT), subcutaneous (ASAT), and intermuscular abdominal adipose tissue (IMAAT) were assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. The cardiometabolic risk (MetS) score and the insulin resistance homeostasis model assessment (HOMA‐IR) were calculated. Health‐related physical fitness components (treadmill test, and 20 m shuttle run, handgrip, standing broad jump and 4 × 10 m tests) were evaluated, and PA was measured (accelerometry). Children were categorized as fit or unfit for each specific fitness test, and as active or inactive. Results: Higher VAT, ASAT, and IMAAT were associated with higher MetS score and HOMA‐IR (all p < 0.02). A better performance in all fitness tests and total and vigorous PA were strongly associated with lower VAT (all p < 0.04), ASAT (all p < 0.005), and IMAAT (all p < 0.005). Fit or active children had lower VAT, ASAT, and IMAAT (all p < 0.03) than their unfit or inactive counterparts. Conclusion: These results reinforce the importance of having adequate fitness and PA levels to reduce abdominal fat accumulation in children. Given that VAT, ASAT, and IMAAT are associated with higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, the improvement of physical fitness by the promotion of PA should be goals of lifestyle interventions for improving health in children with overweight/obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the choice of threshold on physical activity patterns measured in adolescents under free living conditions (FLC) using a uniaxial accelerometer. The study comprised 2043 adolescents (12.5–17.5 years) participating in the HELENA Study. Participants wore a uniaxial accelerometer for 7 days. The PA patterns were assessed using thresholds determined from six different studies. For each of the thresholds used, the number of adolescents fulfilling the recommendation of 60 min of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) per day was also calculated. A significant difference was found between thresholds regardless of the activity level: differences of 38%, 207%, 136%, and 2780% for sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous intensity PA, respectively (P< 0.001). Time of MVPA varied between methods from 25.3 to 55.2 min · day–1. The number of adolescents fulfilling the recommendation varied from 5.9% to 37% according to the thresholds used. The kappa coefficient for concordance in the assessment of the number of adolescents achieving the PA recommendations was generally low. The definition of the threshold for PA intensity may considerably affect the PA patterns in FLC when assessed using a uniaxial accelerometer and the number of participants fulfilling the recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine prospectively the association between muscular strength and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer in men. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Aerobics centre longitudinal study. Participants 8762 men aged 20-80. Main outcome measures All cause mortality up to 31 December 2003; muscular strength, quantified by combining one repetition maximal measures for leg and bench presses and further categorised as age specific thirds of the combined strength variable; and cardiorespiratory fitness assessed by a maximal exercise test on a treadmill. Results During an average follow-up of 18.9 years, 503 deaths occurred (145 cardiovascular disease, 199 cancer). Age adjusted death rates per 10 000 person years across incremental thirds of muscular strength were 38.9, 25.9, and 26.6 for all causes; 12.1, 7.6, and 6.6 for cardiovascular disease; and 6.1, 4.9, and 4.2 for cancer (all P<0.01 for linear trend). After adjusting for age, physical activity, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, baseline medical conditions, and family history of cardiovascular disease, hazard ratios across incremental thirds of muscular strength for all cause mortality were 1.0 (referent), 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.58 to 0.90), and 0.77 (0.62 to 0.96); for death from cardiovascular disease were 1.0 (referent), 0.74 (0.50 to 1.10), and 0.71 (0.47 to 1.07); and for death from cancer were 1.0 (referent), 0.72 (0.51 to 1.00), and 0.68 (0.48 to 0.97). The pattern of the association between muscular strength and death from all causes and cancer persisted after further adjustment for cardiorespiratory fitness; however, the association between muscular strength and death from cardiovascular disease was attenuated after further adjustment for cardiorespiratory fitness. Conclusion Muscular strength is inversely and independently associated with death from all causes and cancer in men, even after adjusting for cardiorespiratory fitness and other potential confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE -- To examine the relationship between birth weight and abdominal adiposity in adolescents. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -- A total of 284 adolescents (49.3% of whom were female) aged 14.9 ± 1.2 years were included in the study. Birth weight and gestational age were obtained from parental records. Abdominal adiposity (in three regions: R1, R2, and R3) and trunk and total body fat mass were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Regional fat mass indexes (FMIs) were thereafter calculated as fat mass divided by the square of height (Trunk FMI and abdominal FMI R1, R2, and R3). RESULTS-- Birth weight was negatively associated with abdominal FMI R1, R2, and R3 independently of total fat mass, gestational age, sex, breast-feeding duration, pubertal stage, physical activity, and socioeconomic status (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS -- Our study shows an inverse association between birth weight and abdominal adiposity in adolescents independently of total fat mass and other potential confounders. These findings suggest that fetal nutrition, as reflected by birth weight, may have a programming effect on abdominal adiposity later in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the study on the impact of handgrip strength (HG) or cardiovascular fitness (CVF) in modifying the associations between birth weight and body compositions in adolescents. The study initially assesses waist circumference, percentage of body fat and the positive association of the respondents' body weight. Results are included, concluding that high birth weight may have a healthy programming effect on body composition in those adolescents with high fitness level.

The authors emphasize the benefit of exercise to patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). They note the significance of simple lifestyle changes to preventing the onset and progression of AD. They cite the results of randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the effects of regular physical activity (PA) on the ability of AD patients to cope with activities of daily living (ADL). They point out that current PA recommendations call for aerobic and strength activities most days of the week.

Objective: To describe self-reported physical activity (PA) patterns in the various domains (school, home, transport, leisure time) and intensity categories (walking, moderate PA, vigorous PA) in European adolescents. Furthermore, self-reported PA patterns were evaluated in relation to gender, age category, weight status category and socio-economic status (SES)., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Ten European cities., Subjects: In total, 3051 adolescents (47·6 % boys, mean age 14·8 (sd 1·2) years) completed an adolescent-adapted version of the validated International Physical Activity Questionnaire., Results: The total sample reported most PA during leisure time (485 min/week) and least PA at home (140 min/week). Boys reported significantly more school-based PA (P < 0·001), leisure-time PA (P = 0·003), vigorous PA (P < 0·001) and total PA (P = 0·002) than girls, while girls reported more home-based PA (P < 0·001) and walking (P = 0·002) than boys. Self-reported PA at school (P < 0·001), moderate PA (P < 0·001), vigorous PA (P < 0·001) and total PA (P < 0·001) were significantly higher in younger age groups than in older groups. Groups based on weight status differed significantly only in leisure-time PA (P = 0·004) and total PA (P = 0·003), while groups based on SES differed in all PA domains and intensities except transport-related PA and total PA., Conclusions: The total sample of adolescents reported different scores for the different PA domains and intensity categories. Furthermore, patterns were different according the adolescents' gender, age, weight status and SES.