The Oporto mixed-longitudinal growth, health and performance study. Design, methods and baseline results

Influence of organised sports practice during adolescence on health of adult women with special emphasis on participation in aesthetic sports

This study aimed to assess the differences in psychosocial health and cardiometabolic risk during adulthood in women based on previously organised sport (OS) participation during adolescence and current activity levels, with emphasis on participation in aesthetic sports. The study included 1947 women aged 18-55 years who were categorised into four groups: 355 aesthetic athletes during adolescence, 494 non- aesthetic athletes during adolescence, 791 non-athletes during adolescence with similar current levels of physical activity (PA) to OS groups and 307 currently inactive non-athletes during adolescence. Participants answered questionnaires regarding sport participation, psychosocial health and cardiometabolic risk. The results show that non-athletes during adolescence who are currently inactive reported significantly lower psychosocial health and higher cardiometabolic risk scores. Women with currently homogenous PA levels (χ² = 0.514) reported similar physical quality of life (QoL), exercise addiction, anxiety and depression symptoms regardless of participation in OS during adolescence (P > .05), except aesthetic athletes who reported the worst sleep and mental QoL. Very high training volumes in aesthetic athletes did not influence psychological outcomes and cardiometabolic risk in adulthood compared to lower training volumes. In conclusion, the effects of PA during adulthood appear to be powerful enough to induce beneficial adaptations in health outcomes that match those observed in women who participate in OS during adolescence, except for aesthetic sports participants, who show a high risk of lower quality of sleep in adulthood. PA should be promoted in adults and especially women who have not participated in OS during adolescence.