Sports practice is related to resting heart rate in adolescents regardless of confounding factors: Cross-sectional study

Association of Early Sports Practice with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Community-Dwelling Adults: A Retrospective Epidemiological Study

BACKGROUND

Sports practice in childhood and adolescence has been inversely related to the chances of developing cardiovascular risk factors (CRFs). However, it is not clear whether sports practice in childhood and adolescence could be inversely related to CRF in adult life.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to analyze the association between early sports practice and cardiovascular risk factors in a randomized sample of community-dwelling adults.

METHODS

For this, 265 adults aged ≥ 18 years composed the sample. Cardiovascular risk factors of obesity, central obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension were collected. Early sports practice was retrospectively self-reported using an appropriate instrument. Total physical activity level was assessed by accelerometry. The association between early sports practice and cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood was analyzed by binary logistic regression, adjusted for sex, age, socioeconomic status, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

RESULTS

Early sports practice was observed in 56.2% of the sample. The prevalence of central obesity (31.5 vs. 50.0%; p = 0.003), diabetes (4.7% vs. 13.7%; p = 0.014), dyslipidemia (10.7% vs. 24.1%; p = 0.005), and hypertension (14.1% vs. 34.5%; p = 0.001) was lower in participants who reported early sports practice. Participants who reported early sports practice in childhood and adolescence were, respectively, 60% (OR = 0.40; 95% CI 0.19-0.82) and 59% (OR = 0.41; 95% CI 0.21-0.82) less likely to have hypertension in adult life when compared to those with no early sports practice, independently of sex, age, socioeconomic status, and habitual physical activity level in adulthood.

CONCLUSION

Early sports practice in childhood and adolescence was a protective factor for hypertension in adulthood.

Is physical activity associated with resting heart rate in boys and girls? A representative study controlled for confounders

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the relationship between different domains of physical activity and resting heart rate (RHR) in boys and girls.

METHOD

The sample included 1011 adolescents, aged between 10 and 17 years. RHR was measured by a heart rate monitor and physical activity was assessed in total and in three different domains (school, occupational, and sports practice) by a questionnaire. Anthropometry was directly obtained for body mass index and central fat. Ethnicity, sedentary behavior, and smoking habits were self-reported and used to adjust the analysis, through hierarchical linear regression.

RESULTS

Total physical activity was associated with low RHR in boys (β=-0.52; 95% CI: -0.92, -0.12) and girls (β=-0.67; 95% CI: -1.07, -0.28). Although sporting physical activities were associated with low RHR in both boys (β=-0.58; 95% CI: -1.05, -0.11) and girls (β=-0.87; 95% CI: -1.34, -0.39), occupational physical activity was related to low RHR only in boys (β=-1.56; 95% CI: -2.99, -0.14).

CONCLUSION

The practice of physical activity in the sport practice domain and total physical activity were related to low RHR in both sexes, while occupational physical activities were associated with RHR only in boys.