Associations between physical activity and health-related fitness – volume versus pattern |
| |
| Authors: | Sara Knaeps Jan G Bourgois Ruben Charlier Evelien Mertens Johan Lefevre |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Physical Activity, Sports and Health Research Group, Department of Kinesiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium;2. Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium;3. Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium;4. Department of Human Biometrics and Biomechanics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium |
| |
| Abstract: | Approximately 3.2 million people die of non-communicable diseases (NCD) each year due to insufficient physical activity. Physical activity guidelines are possibly perceived as too demanding and might thus pose a barrier. We addressed the question if a more stable physical activity pattern is associated with higher levels of health-related fitness than one with high and low intensities, regardless of the physical activity level (PAL). Physical activity was objectively measured in 296 men and women (53.7 ± 8.94 years) with the SenseWear Pro Armband®. Using this data, the PAL and a Gini index were calculated to report the physical activity pattern. Health-related fitness was expressed as a fitness index. PAL was weakly correlated to health-related fitness (r = 0.38, P < .0001). The Gini index was also weakly correlated to the fitness index (r = 0.23, P < .0001). Results of the ANCOVA showed that participants in the first quartile of PAL always scored significantly lower for health-related fitness than participants in quartile four, after adjustment for the Gini index. These results suggest that as long as the volume of physical activity is high, health-related fitness will be high as well, independent of the physical activity pattern or variability in intensities throughout the day. |
| |
| Keywords: | Gini-index physical activity pattern physical activity level non-communicable diseases SenseWear® |
|
|
