AUTHOR=Grzyb Agata , Domagalska-Szopa Małgorzata , Siwiec Andrzej , Kwiecień-Czerwieniec Ilona , Szopa Andrzej 

TITLE=Cardiopulmonary Capacity in Overweight and Obese Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.671827

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2021.671827

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> One of the objective methods of assessing the level of cardiopulmonary capacity in overweight and obese children and adolescents is cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET).</p><p><bold>Aims:</bold> The purpose of present study is an evaluation of aerobic capacity in high body mass index (BMI) children and adolescents by comparing them with a normal weight control group by CPET.</p><p><bold>Methods and Procedures:</bold> The subjects were recruited from participants of the Program of Treatment for Overweight and Obese Children organized by a local pediatric rehabilitation center in Poland. Based on BMI for age and gender, two validation groups were selected: (1) a group of overweight children (<italic>n</italic> = 49) and (2) a group of obese children (<italic>n</italic> = 48). The study included also 53 normal weight participants as a reference group (REF). The study consisted of two parts: anthropometric measurements and CPET. The Godfrey protocol for CPET was applied.</p><p><bold>Outcomes and Results:</bold> In this study, obese children and adolescents showed similar absolute VO<sub>2peak</sub> values in liters per minute (1.64 L/min) compared to overweight children (1.48 L/min), but significantly higher than children with normal body weight (1.39 L/min). The obese children and adolescents presented lower VO<sub>2peak</sub> in relation to body weight (25.44 ml/kg/min) compared to their peers with normal body weight (36.5 ml/kg/min), and overweight children (29.18 ml/kg/min).</p><p><bold>Conclusion and Implications:</bold> The main finding of our study was recognition of significant differences between cardiopulmonary capacity parameters in obese children in comparison not only to normal weight peers, but to overweight, too.</p>