Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 May 9;19(9):5758.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095758.

The Benefits of Utilizing Total Body Composition as a Predictor of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Based on Age: A Pilot Study

Jeffery L Heileson  1 , Zacharias Papadakis  2 , Ahmed Ismaeel  3   4 , Kathleen A Richardson  1 , Ricardo Torres  1 , LesLee Funderburk  5 , Andrew Gallucci  1 , Panagiotis Koutakis  3 , Jeffrey S Forsse  1
Affiliations

The Benefits of Utilizing Total Body Composition as a Predictor of Cardiorespiratory Fitness Based on Age: A Pilot Study

Jeffery L Heileson et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) has been associated with body fat percentage (%BF) or fat free mass. However, most analyses do not consider total body composition (TBC) as defined by %BF, fat free mass index (FFMI—a height-adjusted measure of muscle mass), visceral adipose tissue, and bone mineral content (BMC). The aim of this study was to determine if TBC predicts cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy adults and if a relationship exists in young and older adults. Sixty healthy individuals (age group 1 (AG1, ≤35 years), n = 35; age group 2 (AG2, >35 years), n = 25) were screened in a cross-sectional study and retrospectively examined. All participants completed a full body DEXA scan and a standardized multistage treadmill test to determine VO2max. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between TBC and VO2max. The multiple regression model showed an overall significant effect for TBC (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.282). When analyzed by age group, the regression model of TBC was not significant in young adults (AG1, p = 0.319, R2 = 0.141), but significant in older adults (AG2, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.683). Significant predictors of VO2max in the older cohort were %BF (β = −0.748, p = 0.001) and BMC (β = 0.014, p = 0.002). Total body composition predicted VO2max in a small cohort of healthy adults. This study highlights the importance of TBC for cardiovascular health, especially in mid-to later-life individuals.

Keywords: bone mineral composition; cardiorespiratory fitness; percent body fat; total body composition.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Santtila M., Häkkinen K., Pihlainen K., Kyröläinen H. Comparison Between Direct and Predicted Maximal Oxygen Uptake Measurement During Cycling. Mil. Med. 2013;178:234–238. doi: 10.7205/MILMED-D-12-00276. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Beltz N.M., Gibson A.L., Janot J.M., Kravitz L., Mermier C.M., Dalleck L.C. Graded Exercise Testing Protocols for the Determination of VO2max: Historical Perspectives, Progress, and Future Considerations. J. Sports Med. 2016;2016:e3968393. doi: 10.1155/2016/3968393. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Carlson D.J. V’o2max: The Gold Standard? Chest. 1995;108:602–603. doi: 10.1378/chest.108.3.602. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Balady G.J., Arena R., Sietsema K., Myers J., Coke L., Fletcher G.F., Forman D., Franklin B., Guazzi M., Gulati M., et al. Clinician’s Guide to Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Adults. Circulation. 2010;122:191–225. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0b013e3181e52e69. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Myers J. Exercise and Cardiovascular Health. Circulation. 2003;107:2–5. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000048890.59383.8D. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources