Associations between daily physical activity and physical fitness in Flemish males: A cross-sectional analysis

The relationship of physical activity to several components of physical fit ness was investigated in a sample of 166 males 40 years of age. In addition to Pearson correlations, multivariate canonical correlations were calculat ed. Physical activity during work (work index), sport (sport index), and le isure time (leisure time index) was assessed by the Baecke questionnaire. P hysical fitness included cardiorespiratory fitness measures, the body mass index (BMI), the sum of seven skinfold thicknesses (SKI), percentage body f at (PFAT), balance, and several tests of muscle strength and endurance, fle xibility, and speed of limb movement. More than 86% of the variance was sha red by the two first canonical variables. The first canonical variable can be interpreted as a health-related fitness function. Carciorespiratory fitn ess, balance, speed of limb movement, explosive strength, and trunk muscle strength are clearly related to this function. From the physical activity m easures, the Baecke sport index correlated significantly with this health-r elated fitness function. The second canonical variable can be explained as a fatness function, since body weight, BMI, SKI, and PFAT showed the highes t correlations with the variable. The Baecke work index was inversely relat ed to this canonical variable. The sample was also divided into physical ac tivity groups in order to look for differences in physical fitness. The dat a indicate that physical activity during work was modestly, but inversely r elated to adiposity. Sport activity was beneficially associated to several fitness components, including cardiorespiratory fitness, trunk, muscle stre ngth, and upper body muscular endurance. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.