Aixa-Requena Saül, Pano-Rodríguez Álvaro, Hernández-González Vicenç, Conesa-Milian Enric, Batalla-Gavaldà Abraham, Beltrán-Garrido Jose Vicente, López-Laval Isaac, Corbi Francisco, Arnau-Salvador Rosa, Reverter-Masia Joaquín
Human Movement Research Group (RGHM), University of Lleida, Plaça de Víctor Siurana, 25003 Lleida, Spain.
Faculty of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Department of Specific Didactics, University of Lleida, 25003 Lleida, Spain.
Children (Basel). 2025 Apr 29;12(5):581. doi: 10.3390/children12050581.
: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a key indicator of current and future health in children and adolescents, and is influenced by both physiological and behavioral factors. This study examined the associations between CRF, body composition, and health-related habits in 685 children and adolescents (aged 8-16 years) who regularly participated in extracurricular sports programs in northeastern Spain. Participants underwent anthropometric assessments, completed a 20 m shuttle run test to evaluate CRF, and filled out validated questionnaires on physical activity levels, sleep quality, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Significant sex differences were observed, with boys achieving higher CRF performance ( < 0.001), primarily associated with greater muscle mass ( < 0.001) and lower body fat percentage ( < 0.001). Age positively correlated with improved CRF ( < 0.001), whereas higher body mass index ( = 0.003) and fat mass ( = 0.020) negatively impacted fitness outcomes. These findings underscore the critical role of physical activity and optimal body composition in promoting cardiorespiratory fitness among youth, emphasizing the importance of targeted interventions to foster healthy behaviors from early childhood. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs to better elucidate the dynamic interactions between lifestyle factors, body composition, and physical fitness throughout childhood and adolescence.
心肺适能（CRF）是儿童和青少年当前及未来健康的关键指标，且受生理和行为因素的影响。本研究调查了西班牙东北部685名经常参加课外体育项目的儿童和青少年（8 - 16岁）的心肺适能、身体成分和健康相关习惯之间的关联。参与者接受了人体测量评估，完成了20米往返跑测试以评估心肺适能，并填写了关于身体活动水平、睡眠质量和对地中海饮食依从性的有效问卷。观察到显著的性别差异，男孩的心肺适能表现更高（<0.001），主要与更大的肌肉量（<0.001）和更低的体脂百分比（<0.001）有关。年龄与心肺适能的改善呈正相关（<0.001），而较高的体重指数（=0.003）和脂肪量（=0.020）对体能结果有负面影响。这些发现强调了身体活动和最佳身体成分在促进青少年心肺适能方面的关键作用，强调了从幼儿期就进行有针对性干预以培养健康行为的重要性。未来的研究应采用纵向设计，以更好地阐明整个儿童期和青少年期生活方式因素、身体成分和体能之间的动态相互作用。
