ABSTRACT
Sedentarity during adolescence is important therogenous risk factors in adults; but physical activity contributes to reducing the risk. Objectives: this study aimed at comparing Beninese handball players to non players; i.e. 1) factors associated with atherogenous risk; 2) frequency of athergenous risk factors; 3) determinants of indirect VO2 max. Methods: this cross sectional study; a case-control; was carried out on 100 girls about sixteen to twenty five. The case group (GS) was constituted of 50 handball players girls; who are involved very often in Beninese first division championship. Fifty girls non players constituted the control group (GC). Adiposity indexes; blood pressure; resting heart rate; plasma HDL-C and indirect VO2max were detriment in a single blind fashion and in the same conditions for both groups. Results: the values of plasma HDL-C and indirect VO2max were higher (P0.05) in the GS group than in GC (0.47+- 0.13 gl versus 0.36+- 0.13 g/l and 45.06 +- 6.32 ml.kg.min.-1 versus 33.96 +- 3.52 ml.kg-1.min-1). In GC; the frequency of the atherougenous risk factors was higher than in GC; for P0.05 (TT/TH : 72