Cardiorespiratory Fitness of Children with Overweight/Obesity

The goal of a recent study was to evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity using the Kasch pulse recovery (KPR) test, examining its correlation with the severity of obesity, insulin resistance, and blood pressure. 

This retrospective analysis utilized baseline data from a study on the efficacy of yoga for reducing body mass index (BMI) in children aged 8-15 years with overweight/obesity. The KPR three-minute step test was performed, classifying children into cardiorespiratory fitness categories based on post-KPR heart rate (HR). Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) was calculated, and correlation analysis was conducted.

Results from 155 children (mean age: 11.6 ± 1.8 years; mean BMI: 26.2 ± 4.1 kg/m2) showed that 14% had poor cardiorespiratory fitness. For children <13 years, 28% had excellent or very good fitness, 58% had good or sufficient fitness, and 14% had poor or very poor fitness. Poor/very poor fitness was associated with higher BMI, waist circumference (WC), resting HR, systolic blood pressure, and homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), with WC z score being statistically significant. Post-KPR–HR positively correlated with BMI z score, WC z score, and HOMA-IR. 

It was concluded that 14% of children with overweight/obesity exhibited poor cardiorespiratory fitness, with post-KPR–HR and calculated VO2 max correlating well with measures of obesity and HOMA-IR. The study suggests a need for further research to assess cardiorespiratory fitness and establish normative data for VO2 max in Indian children.

Source:Gupta P, Kumar B, Banothu KK, Jain V. Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 2023 Dec.