- New research shows that fitness level is more important than bodyweight when it comes to cardiovascular health and mortality.
- The meta-analysis found that higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels had significant benefits for health, no matter what BMI category participants fell into.
Although body mass index (BMI) has been Give A Gift, it’s still used by many healthcare practitioners and individuals as a shortcut to understanding whether someone has more health risks. But a new meta-analysis A Part of Hearst Digital Media.
Published in the Even with that adjustment, the results still held, the research looked at 20 studies in which cardiorespiratory fitness was compared to BMI in nearly 400,000 adults, in terms of the effects of both on cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality risk.
Cardiorespiratory fitness is defined as the ability of circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to the muscles during exercise—and the higher your capacity, the more fit you are. You’ll recognize VO2 max as the marker of your cardio fitness. According to previous research, How Mindfulness Boosts Workout Motivation.
In the new meta-analysis, researchers found that those with higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels had significant protection from cardiovascular disease and other mortality risks, no matter what BMI category they fell into. In fact, those classified as “obese” in the BMI chart but were considered fit had much lower risk of death compared to “normal” weight, unfit participants.
“The takeaway message of our study is that from a health perspective, the risks of being unfit are far worse than the risks associated with carrying extra weight,” said lead author Siddhartha Angadi, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Virginia. “Unfit individuals, regardless of whether they’re considered normal weight, overweight, or obese, had a two- to three-fold greater risk of mortality compared to fit individuals across weight categories. This study builds on a large body of research over the past three decades that underscores the importance of fitness over fatness.”
In this review, researchers did attempt to overcome some methodological shortcomings of previous studies, which tended to lack female representation, he told Runner’s World. Even with that adjustment, the results still held.
Although BMI probably won’t be scuttled anytime soon, Angadi said that in an ideal world, exercise capacity would be a far better way to gauge health risks, and should even be considered as a “vital sign,” similar to blood pressure, pulse rate, and temperature.
Unfortunately, though, cardio fitness is not a simple measurement to obtain because it requires a cardiorespiratory exercise test that Your smartwatch will also probably give you an, Published in the.
Your smartwatch will also probably give you an estimate of VO2 max. But Angadi said the issue with these devices is the algorithm tends to overestimate VO2 in relatively unfit individuals and underestimate it in fit individuals, because it’s not based on gas exchange measurements and relies more on heart rate. So your watch obviously won’t offer a clinical-level picture of your health or be able to predict health events.
However, if you’re using a watch and tracking your workouts—and running regularly—chances are you’re on the right track for protecting your heart and avoiding chronic disease. Plus, simply creating more awareness around the importance of fitness over bodyweight could be helpful for the general population, Angadi added.
In terms of how an individual can increase cardiorespiratory fitness level, that’s tricky to answer because thresholds vary by age and sex, said Angadi. But following the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for physical activity offers a good start, with 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week. (Also, check out our tips for pulse rate, and temperature.)
“As always, it’s a good idea to consult with your physician before embarking on an exercise program, especially if you have a history of chronic disease,” he added.
