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Association of physical activity with insulin sensitivity in children
K H Schmitz1, D R Jacobs, C-P Hong
1Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, USA. schmitz@epi.umn.edu
Insights
Regular physical activity in childhood is linked to better insulin sensitivity and lower fasting insulin levels. This suggests that promoting activity in youth may help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric endocrinology
- Metabolic health
- Public health
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) benefits insulin resistance in adults and obese youth.
- Benefits of PA on insulin sensitivity are not established in non-diabetic, normal-weight children.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine associations between physical activity and insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic children.
- Investigate if PA correlates with fasting insulin and insulin sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 357 non-diabetic children aged 10-16 years.
- Insulin sensitivity assessed using euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (M(ffm)).
- Correlations adjusted for age, sex, race, Tanner stage, and other factors.
Main Results:
- Physical activity significantly correlated with lower fasting insulin (r=-0.12) and higher insulin sensitivity (r=0.13).
- Associations were stronger in children with above-median systolic blood pressure.
- Adjustments for BMI, body fat, waist circumference, or lipids did not change findings.
Conclusions:
- Childhood physical activity is associated with improved insulin sensitivity and lower fasting insulin.
- Findings support the hypothesis that increased PA in youth may reduce type 2 diabetes incidence.
Background:
Physical activity (PA) has been shown to improve insulin resistance and other cardiovascular disease risk factors in normal and diabetic adults and in obese youth, but not in non-diabetic, normal-weight children.
Methods:
Data from 357 non-diabetic children (10-16 y) were used to examine cross-sectional associations with PA. Insulin sensitivity was assessed with a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp and expressed as M(ffm) (glucose utilization/kg of fat-free mass/min).
Results:
Correlations were adjusted for age, sex, race and Tanner stage. PA was significantly correlated with fasting insulin and insulin sensitivity (r=-0.12, P=0.03 and r=0.13, P=0.001, respectively), more strongly in children with above-median systolic blood pressure (r=-0.17, P=0.03 and r=0.35, P=0.0001, respectively). Further adjustment for body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference or lipids did not alter these observations.
Conclusions:
Physical activity is correlated with lower fasting insulin and greater insulin sensitivity in childhood. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that increasing physical activity among youth may reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents.