REGULAR ARTICLE

Insulin sensitivity, VO2max and body composition in severely obese Swedish children and adolescents

  1. Gunilla Morinder1,2,
  2. Ulla Evers Larsson1,
  3. Svante Norgren3,
  4. Claude Marcus2

Article first published online: 19 SEP 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.01030.x

Issue

Acta Paediatrica

Acta Paediatrica

Volume 98, Issue 1, pages 132–138, January 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Morinder, G., Larsson, U. E., Norgren, S. and Marcus, C. (2009), Insulin sensitivity, VO2max and body composition in severely obese Swedish children and adolescents. Acta Paediatrica, 98: 132–138. doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.01030.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Physiotherapy, Huddinge, Sweden

  2. 2

    Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Pediatrics, National Childhood Obesity Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden

  3. 3

    Karolinska Institutet, Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden

*Correspondence Gunilla Morinder, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Physiotherapy, SE 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden. Tel: +46-8-5248 8870 | Fax: +46-8-5248 8813 | Email: gunilla.morinder@karolinska.se

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 DEC 2008
  2. Article first published online: 19 SEP 2008
  3. Received 23 June 2008; revised 18 August 2008; accepted 19 August 2008.

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Keywords:

  • Body composition;
  • Cardiorespiratory fitness;
  • Children;
  • Insulin sensitivity

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify relationships between insulin sensitivity (SI), cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition in severely obese Swedish children and adolescents.

Methods: Two hundred and twenty-eight obese children (119 girls, 8–16 years, body mass index (BMI) 23.2–57.0 kg/m2) performed a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test (FSIVGTT), a submaximal bicycle ergometry test and a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Results: Mean SI (SD) was 0.38 (0.32) (×10−5/min/pM). SI correlated positively with relative body mass (BM) VO2max (r = 0.42) (p < 0.001), relative fat-free mass (FFM) VO2max (r = 0.36) (p < 0.001) and negatively with body mass index standard deviation score (BMI SDS) (r =−0.22) (p = 0.001). SI did not correlate with percent body fat (r =−0.01) and absolute VO2max (r = 0.01). In multiple regression analyses with SI as dependent variable, VO2max and body composition, together with gender, age and Tanner stage, explained 20–26% of the variance.

Conclusion: Relative (BM) VO2max and relative (FFM) VO2max were stronger predictors of SI than percent body fat in severely obese children and adolescents. The study confirms that cardiorespiratory fitness is of importance for the metabolic syndrome in the studied population. Efforts to improve SI should include physical activity targeting cardiorespiratory fitness also in severely obese children and adolescents.

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