Association between maximal oxygen consumption and physical activity and sedentary lifestyle in metabolic syndrome....

To analyze whether variations in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors are accompanied by differences in maximal oxygen consumption (VO_2max).

We conducted a prospective cross-sectional study of 243 participants (82 women), aged 65.0±4.9 years old, with metabolic syndrome and overweight/obesity who performed a maximal exercise test with expired gas analysis. PA was evaluated using subjective methods, the REGICOR and RAPA 1 self-reported questionnaires, and objective methods, the chair test and accelerometry. Sedentariness was analyzed with the Nurses' Health Study questionnaire and accelerometry.

VO_2max was higher in participants who reported they adhered to the recommendations of the PA guidelines in the REGICOR questionnaire (21.3±4.6 vs 18.0±4.4 mL/kg/min; P <.001) and was 18% higher in those who reported more PA in the RAPA 1 questionnaire than the less active group (P <.001). The chair test (> 15 vs ≤ 15 repetitions) also showed significant differences in VO_2max (21.2±4.8 vs 18.7±4.5 ml/kg/min; P <.001). Correlations between PA variables and VO_2max were significant but low (r: 0.2 to 0.4). Sedentary activities showed less relationship with VO_2max.

Participants with metabolic syndrome and overweight/obesity who reported adhering to PA recommendations achieved higher VO_2max. The self-reported questionnaires and the chair test identified significant variations in VO_2max. Sedentary activities do not appear to modify VO_2max.