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Introduction: The aims of this study were to examine cross-sectional, and longitudinal association of different measures of obesity and physical fitness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods: Longitudinal analysis included 90 adolescents with Down syndrome. Obesity and physical fitness were measured following the ALPHA battery. Blood pressure and blood samplings (glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum lipid triglycerides levels (mg/dl) were determinated. Results: In cross-sectional analyses, obesity was positively associated with single CVD risk factors and CVD risk factor index (all p < 0.05). In the prospective analyses, obesity was not associated with single CVD risk factors, but components of physical fitness at baseline impact in some single CVD risk factors (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Obesity might be more strongly related to current cardiovascular-health, while components of physical fitness might be more related to future cardiovascular-health in adolescents with Down syndrome. [This article was written on behalf of the UP&DOWN Study Group.]

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) may be altered during pregnancy due to pregnancy-related changes in all domains of women's health. Hypothesis: A supervised concurrent exercise-training program from the 17th gestational week until birth positively influences HRQoL. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial. Level of Evidence: Level 1. Methods: Eighty-six pregnant women (age, 33.1 ± 4.6 years; prepregnancy body mass index, 23.5 kg/m2), divided into exercise (n = 41) and control (n = 45) groups, participated in this study (per-protocol basis). The exercise group followed a 60-min, 3 days/week, concurrent (aerobic + resistance) exercise training program. HRQoL was assessed with the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), where higher scores (0-100) indicate better HRQoL. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, the exercise group decreased 16.1 points less than the control group in the SF-36 physical functioning domain [between-group differences (B): 95% confidence interval (CI), 9.02 to 23.22; P < 0.01], and 4.5 points less in the SF-36 physical component summary than the control group (between-group differences (B): 95% CI, 0.65 to 8.28; P = 0.02). Intention-to-treat basis analyses depicted similar results, where the exercise group decreased 10.03 points less than the control group the in the SF-36 social functioning domain (between-group differences (B): 95% CI, 0.39 to 19.68; P = 0.04). Conclusion: A supervised concurrent exercise training program ameliorates HRQoL decreases along gestation. Although HRQoL decreased throughout pregnancy in both groups, this impact was less in the exercise group, especially in the SF-36 physical functioning, the SF-36 social functioning, and the SF-36 physical component summary. Clinical Relevance: Healthcare providers may encourage pregnant women to exercise in this physiological stage for a better HRQoL throughout pregnancy. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02582567; Date of registration: 20/10/2015 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to examine associations of total volume and bouts of sedentary time (ST) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with physical fitness (PF) in youth. Methods: This was a 2-year follow-up study with 1418 children and adolescents (51.7% boys). Accelerometers were used to assess ST and MVPA. Cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness values were objectively measured and combined in a global PF variable. Weight status was objectively obtained. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the cross-sectional (using scores at baseline) and longitudinal associations (using the change in the variables) of total volume and bouts of ST and MVPA with PF. Results: Total ST was negatively associated with global PF (β = −0.488, P <.001 in cross-sectional analysis; β = −0.234, P =.003 in longitudinal analysis). However, this association was not independent of MVPA. Total volume of MVPA showed a positive association with global PF independently of ST and weight status (β = 0.285, P <.001 in cross-sectional analysis; β = 0.119, P =.001 in longitudinal analysis). Longitudinal associations found between ST and MVPA accumulated in bouts of various lengths and global PF became nonsignificant when their respective total volumes are included in the model. Conclusions: These results underline the need to accumulate minutes of MVPA, regardless of the bout duration, to increase PF levels in youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aims were to: (1) examine the levels of physical activity (PA) during different time periods (ie, daily PA, school hour PA, recess PA, physical education classes [PEC] PA) in children and adolescents; and (2) identify the rate of compliance with the specific PA recommendations for these time periods. Methods: The participants were 1925 (940 girls) children and adolescents from 40 Spanish schools. Hip-worn accelerometers were used to assess PA during different time periods. Results: Boys and children were more physically active and had a greater percentage meeting the daily PA recommendation and the school-based PA recommendation than girls and adolescents, respectively. Compliance with daily PA recommendation was markedly higher than that with the school-based PA recommendation, regardless of sex and age groups (ie, 80.4% vs 24.1% for daily and school-based PA recommendations, respectively, in child boys). A very low percentage (ie, 9.7% and 1.2% of child boys with almost 50% of moderate-to-vigorous PA during recess and PEC, respectively) of students reached the recommended PA levels for recess and PEC. Conclusions: Physical activity levels during school hours, recess, and PEC in children and adolescents are very low. Promoting PA in school settings is essential, especially in girls and adolescents.

The aims of this study were to examine cross-sectional, and longitudinal association of different measures of obesity and physical fitness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescents with Down syndrome. Longitudinal analysis included 90 adolescents with Down syndrome. Obesity and physical fitness were measured following the ALPHA battery. Blood pressure and blood samplings (glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum lipid triglycerides levels (mg/dl) were determinated. In cross-sectional analyses, obesity was positively associated with single CVD risk factors and CVD risk factor index (all p <.05). In the prospective analyses, obesity was not associated with single CVD risk factors, but components of physical fitness at baseline impact in some single CVD risk factors (all p <.05). Obesity might be more strongly related to current cardiovascular-health, while components of physical fitness might be more related to future cardiovascular-health in adolescents with Down syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored the association of physical fitness (PF) during pregnancy with maternal body composition indices along pregnancy and postpartum period. The study comprised 159 pregnant women (32.9 ± 4.7 years old). Assessments were carried out at the 16th and 34th gestational weeks (g.w.) and six weeks postpartum. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular strength (absolute and relative values) and flexibility were measured. Body composition indices were obtained by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at postpartum. The results, after adjusting for potential covariates at the 16th g.w., indicated that greater CRF was associated with lower postpartum indices total fat mass, android and gynoid fat mass (all, p < 0.05). Greater absolute upper-body muscular strength was associated with greater pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG); and postpartum indices body weight, BMI, lean mass, fat free mass, fat mass, gynoid fat mass, T-score and Z-score bone mineral density (BMD) (all, p < 0.05). Greater upper-body flexibility was associated with lower pre-pregnancy BMI; and postpartum indices body weight, BMI, lean mass, fat free mass, fat mass, android fat mass and gynoid fat mass, and with greater GWG (all, p < 0.05). At the 34th g.w., greater CRF was additionally associated with greater postpartum T-score and Z-score BMD (both, p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study reveals that greater PF levels, especially during early pregnancy, may promote a better body composition in the postpartum period. Therefore, clinicians and health promoters should encourage women to maintain or improve PF levels from early pregnancy. Given that obesity is on the rise today, it is important to find strategies to cope with it, especially during pregnancy. The results of the present study suggest that greater physical fitness during early pregnancy is key to promoting better body composition in the postpartum period. It should be of clinical interest to encourage pregnant women to maintain or improve their physical fitness levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]