| dc.description.abstract | Background: improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is important in obese individuals. To guide physical training to improve CRF, knowledge of cardiac response to exercise, including peak heart rate (HRpeak) and peak oxygen pulse, is crucial because optimal training intensity is routinely determined as a percentage of HRpeak. Cardiac response is reported to differ between obese and normal weight individuals. The association of body mass index (BMI) with HRpeak and peak oxygen pulse is not well understood.
Aims: primary aim was to determine the association of BMI with HRpeak and peak oxygen pulse in apparently healthy individuals in various BMI subgroups. Secondary aim was to explore the role of CRF in the association of BMI with HRpeak.
Methods: a cross-sectional observational study was executed. Existing data of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), originating from The Low-Lands Fitness Registry, were used to analyze the association of BMI with HRpeak and peak oxygen pulse with linear regression analyses. Further analyses in BMI subgroups were then performed to compare differences in associations. The role of CRF was analyzed by introducing this variable into the regression analyses.
Results: data of 7990 participants were included. Median age was 31.7 and 5.2% was obese. BMI was significantly associated with HRpeak in the total sample, but not in separate BMI subgroups. Based on studied interactions, the association of BMI with HRpeak was different in obese individuals compared to non-obese. BMI was also significantly associated with peak oxygen pulse in the total sample and in some of the BMI subgroups. Partial R2 of BMI in the models ranged from 0.000 – 0.033. CRF was significantly associated with HRpeak in the total sample and all BMI subgroups.
Conclusion: BMI is associated with HRpeak and peak oxygen pulse and these associations differ between overweight and obese individuals and individuals with a normal body weight. CRF plays an intervening role in the association of BMI with HRpeak.
Clinical relevance: the impact of BMI on HRpeak and peak oxygen pulse is limited and may not be relevant for clinical decision-making. | |
