Movement behaviors and cardiorespiratory fitness - a cross-sectional compositional data analysis among German adults

We investigated associations of movement behaviors (moderate-vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, and stationary time) with various parameters measured during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. We applied compositional data analysis to account for the relative contributions of different movement behaviors to the overall time budget of the waking day.

We used data from 1,396 participants of the cross-sectional population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND-1), who provided valid accelerometer data worn on the hip for seven days during waking hours and participated in cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a cycle ergometer (n = 1,396 participants with a mean age of 57.1 (SD 13.2, 51% men). Linear regression models applying compositional data analysis were used to examine associations of proportions of movement behaviors (exposure) with parameters derived during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (outcome) normalized for body weight and stratified by sex. Models were adjusted for age, education, smoking, and partnership, except the %predicted VO₂peak model, where age was omitted, as it is part of the calculation of the %predicted VO₂peak. In models examining O₂pulse or HRmax, individuals using beta blockers were excluded.

In males and females, more time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with greater VO₂VT1, VO₂peak, and VO₂ recovery after 60 s (all p < 0.01). Greater moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was also related to higher %predicted VO₂peak and maximum heart rate in males and to higher VO₂/work in females (all p < 0.01). In both sexes, more time in stationary time was associated with less %predicted VO₂peak (p < 0.01). More light intensity physical activity was associated to higher %predicted VO₂peak in both sexes and with lower VO₂/work in women (all p < 0.01). Greater stationary time was related to less VO₂/work, VO₂VT1, and VO₂peak in males and to less VO₂ recovery after 60 s and O₂pulse in females (p values < 0.05).

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (positive) and stationary time (inverse) influence parameters derived during cardiopulmonary exercise testing irrespective of age, smoking, and living in a relationship. The sex specific effects were rather small. Hence, promoting physical activity should be encouraged to increase cardiorespiratory fitness.