Role of exercise intervention in improving body fat distribution and risk profile in children

The influence of 4 months of physical training (PT) and detraining on body composition, and risk factors for coronary artery disease (CAD) and noninsu lin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was examined. The subjects were 81 obese 7-11-year-olds. At baseline, visceral adipose tissue (VAT) was the ma in adiposity variable cross-sectionally associated with unfavorable levels of the lipid-lipoprotein risk factors, while fat mass was more highly corre lated with insulin, systolic blood pressure, and leptin. Adiposity measures were associated with unfavorable concentrations of clotting-fibrinolysis f actors. Subjects were randomly assigned to engage in PT for the first or se cond 4-month period of the study; for most variables, tests were done at 0, 4, and 8-month time points. The PT program was offered 5 days a week for 4 0 min/session. For the 73 children who completed 4 months of PT, attendance was 80% and heart rate during the sessions was 157 bpm. PT had a favorable influence on percent fat, VAT, subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue, insu lin, triacylglycerol, and cardiac parasympathetic activity. Detraining gene rally led to unfavorable changes in percent fat and associated risk factors . Leptin decreased during periods of PT and increased following cessation o f PT. No significant changes due to PT were found for diet, hemodynamic, le ft ventricular, or most lipid parameters. Thus, 4 months of controlled PT, without dietary intervention, had a favorable impact on body composition an d some obesity-associated CAD/NIDDM risk factors. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.