Abstract
Our aim was to analyze the association between somatic maturation and alterations in metabolic syndrome (METs) risk and C-reactive protein (CRP), focusing on the effect of changes in trunk fat and sports practice. This was a longitudinal study with a one-year follow-up. The sample was composed of 139 adolescents (46 without sports participation and 93 young athletes), aged 10–17 years. As outcomes, we adopted CRP and METs risk (triglycerides, HDL-c, fasting glucose, and mean blood pressure). Somatic maturation was estimated using Mirwald’s method. Structural equation models were used. Somatic maturation was not associated with sports practice, trunk fat, METs risk neither CRP. Sports practice was associated with a reduction in METs risk (β = −0.926; 95%CI:−1.773, −0.080) and reduction in trunk fat (−10.957; −19.630, −2.283), which was associated with increases in METs risk (0.020; 0.004, 0.036). In the CRP model, sports practice was associated with a reduction in trunk fat (−10.324; −18.637, −2.010), which in turn was associated with a reduction in CRP (0.007; 0.001, 0.013). Sports practice and lower trunk adiposity were associated with reductions in trunk fat, METs risk, and CRP through direct and indirect pathways. Our findings highlight the role of sports practice in attenuating the negative effect of trunk adiposity.
Highlights
Our aim was to analyze the association between somatic maturation and alterations in metabolic syndrome (METs) risk and C-reactive protein (CRP), focusing on the effect of changes in trunk fat and sports practice
Considering missing data as well as outliers, the final sample was composed of 139 adolescents with complete data for metabolic syndrome risk and CRP analysis
Girls presented a lower age of peak height velocity (PHV), fasting glucose, systolic blood pressure, and CRP, as well as higher trunk fat than boys
Summary
Our aim was to analyze the association between somatic maturation and alterations in metabolic syndrome (METs) risk and C-reactive protein (CRP), focusing on the effect of changes in trunk fat and sports practice. During adolescence, due to its impact on all biological tissues and organs of the human body towards the mature state, the biological maturation process is a major contributor to the adoption of relevant behaviors, such as sports p articipation[4] (most common manifestation of physical exercise during adolescence), and a possible risk factor for the onset of chronic diseases In this sense, previous findings have already shown that adolescents with earlier maturation have higher cardiovascular risk factors during adolescence, as well as prospectively during adulthood[5,6,7,8,9], which can be caused especially through the increase in adiposity and the adoption of risk b ehaviors[10,11]. Considered in an integral manner, the prediction of both metabolic and inflammatory risk factors can be determined by several biological and behavioral factors during growth, taking into account the relationship of Scientific Reports | (2021) 11:18052
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