Physical activity level has a great influence on the nutritional status of adolescents: a review article

Abstract

PurposeThe aim of the review was to investigate the relationship between physical activity level (PAL) and nutritional status (NS) in adolescents.MethodsSeven electronic databases were searched for research from the years 2005–2015. The studies must have mentioned the relationship between PAL and NS parameters in adolescents. After the review of abstracts and articles, 22 papers meeting the required criteria were further analysed in detail.ResultsThe studies included 31,045 subjects of both sexes. The results showed that smaller PAL led to an increase of NS parameters and vice versa. Comparing the total PAL, the total time spent in moderately vigorous physical activity, and the total time of vigorous PA (VPA), only VPA was a significant predictor of the responders’ percentage of fat mass. Reducing the activity by 10 MET on the weekly level was associated with an increase in BMI in girls for 0.11 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, while an increase of the activity by 1 hour per week resulted in a decline in BMI by 0.13 kg/m<sup>2</sup>.ConclusionsTotal PAL has a significant correlation with NS in adolescents. This relationship is inverse, which means that more active adolescents are less overweight than their less active and/or inactive counterparts and vice versa. In addition to PAL, the character or intensity of physical activity has a significant impact on BMI. Physical activity of higher intensity influenced the reduction of body weight and fat mass more than activity of the same duration but of moderate intensity.