Vigorous physical activity trims down abdominal fat in children

More intense physical activities (PAs) help reduce abdominal fat in children, reveals a study, noting that PA programs must provide occasions for children to perform vigorous (V)PA to achieve healthier body fat profiles and prevent excess adiposity.

A group of researchers conducted this study to assess the associations of energy expenditure (EE) at moderate (MPA) and VPA intensity with total and abdominal fat in children and to determine whether such associations were moderated by cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).

In total, 326 children (171 girls, 151 boys) aged 10‒12 years had their PA measured using accelerometers. The researchers evaluated total fat mass index (FMI) and abdominal FMI using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and CRF using a cycle ergometer test. They generated linear regression models to assess outcomes, with the inclusion of an interaction term to test for moderation effects.

VPA EE showed an inverse association with FMI (β, ‒0.013; p<0.001) and abdominal FMI (β, ‒0.0014; p<0.001), independent of MPA EE. On the other hand, MPA EE showed no association with adiposity, independent of VPA EE (p>0.05).

Of note, CRF moderated the relationships of PA intensities with FMI and abdominal FMI. In children with high levels of CRF, MPA EE positively correlated with adiposity, while VPA EE remained inversely associated with adiposity regardless of CRF level, but the strength of the association was attenuated in children with higher CRF levels.

“PA guidelines advocate that children should accumulate at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA daily,” the researchers said.