The independent associations between abdominal obesity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), physical activity (PA) and cardiometabolic risk factors in obese women is unclear. We studied 165 sedentary, abdominally obese women (waist circumference 106.4 ± 10.2 cm, age 51.0 ± 7.8y). Objective measures of PA volume and intensity were obtained by accelerometry and CRF by a maximal treadmill test. Plasma glucose and serum insulin were obtained during a 2-hour glucose tolerance test. The homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA-IR) was used to estimate insulin resistance. Fasting levels for triglycerides, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoproteins were also obtained. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was measured using the BP True method.
With few exceptions PA variables alone were not associated with any cardiometabolic risk factors. WC was associated with all cardiometabolic risk factors except DBP, 1 and 2-hour glucose (p≤0.05). CRF alone was associated with SBP, fasting insulin, and HOMA-IR (p≤0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed associations between WC and HOMA-IR (r2=0.24, p<0.001), fasting insulin (r2=0.25, p<0.001), fasting glucose (r2=0.03, p<0.05), TG (r2=0.05, p<0.05), and HDL (r2=0.06, p<0.05) following adjustment for PA, and CRF. CRF, PA intensity and PA volume were not associated with cardiometabolic risk factors following control for each other and WC.
In this study of sedentary, abdominally obese women objective measures of PA intensity and volume were not associated with cardiometabolic risk factors independent of WC and CRF. WC was associated with most of the cardiometabolic risk factors independent of PA and CRF; however, the associations with measures of insulin metabolism were modest whereas the associations with lipid variables and blood pressure were weak.
Stronger Relationships Between Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Physical Fitness than Objectively Measured Physical Activity
