Effects of aerobic exercise combined with resistance training on health-related physical fitness in adolescents: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: /Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of two combined training methods on health-related physical fitness components in adolescents. Methods: Seventy-six adolescents (16.1 ± 1.1 years, n = 44 female) were randomized into groups of moderate-intensity continuous training combined with resistance training (MICT + RT), high-intensity interval training combined with resistance training (HIIT + RT), or Control. The training sessions were performed twice weekly for 12 weeks. The health-related physical fitness components evaluated were: body composition, muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness. Results: The intervention groups had a significant reduction in body fat percentage and improvement in abdominal repetitions and VO2peak after 12 weeks of combined exercise program (p < 0.001). Intervention effects were found to significantly reduce body fat percentage for the MICT + RT and HIIT + RT groups compared to the control group (mean difference: -3.8; 95% CI: -6.2; -1 0.3; mean difference: -4.7; 95%CI: -7.1; -2.3, respectively). For muscle fitness, significant effects of the intervention were found in increasing the number of abdominal repetitions favoring the MICT + RT group compared to the control group (mean difference: 9.5; 95% CI: 4.4; 14.7) and HIIT + RT compared to the control group (mean difference: 14.1; 95% CI 9; 19.3). For cardiorespiratory fitness, significant effects of the intervention on improving VO2peak were found in the experimental groups (MICT + RT vs Control group: mean difference: 4.4; 95% CI: 2.2; 6.6; and HIIT + RT vs. Control group: mean difference: 5.5, 95% CI: 3.3; 7.7). Conclusion: The results suggest that 12 weeks of training using MCIT + RT or HIIT + RT showed a similar effect for health-related physical fitness components in adolescents.

Health-related physical fitness indicators and clustered cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents: A longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: This study examined relationships between health-related physical fitness indicators and clustered cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents between 2014 and 2017. METHODS: The sample consisted of 93 students (60% girls), with complete data sets in both 2014 and 2017. The physical fitness components evaluated were: flexibility (sit and reach), muscular fitness (curl-up and push-up), cardiorespiratory fitness (progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run), and body fat (BMI). The cardiometabolic risk factors were: waist circumference, blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides and fasting blood glucose. Z-scores were calculated for each risk factor, with the sum of risk factor z-scores values used to represent clustered cardiometabolic risk. RESULTS: The results of cross-sectional analysis indicated that muscle fitness (curl-up: ß = -0.37, p < 0.001; push-up: ß = -0.38, p < 0.005) and cardiorespiratory fitness (ß = -0.56, p < 0.001) were inversely associated with clustered cardiometabolic risk, with BMI positively associated (ß = 0.58, p < 0.001). In the longitudinal analysis, cardiorespiratory fitness (ß = -0.33; p < 0.005) and body fat (ß = 0.46, p < 0.001) demonstrated a significant association with clustered cardiometabolic risk. However, no significant associations between the health-related physical fitness and clustered cardiometabolic risk were observed after adjustment for baseline values. CONCLUSION: Our cross-sectional findings highlight the importance of health-related physical fitness indicators to adolescents. In regarding the longitudinal analysis, further studies are needed in order to clarify the influence of physical fitness in the adolescence and cardiometabolic risk later in life.