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Associations between physical fitness components with muscle ultrasound parameters in prepuberal children

International Journal of Obesity volume 46, pages 960–968 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/objectives

Muscle ultrasound is a convenient technique to visualize normal and pathological muscle tissue as it is non-invasive and real-time. This technique is related to several physical performance parameters and body composition components in adults; however, this relationship remains unexplored in early aged. We aimed to evaluate the association between physical fitness components with muscle ultrasound parameters in prepuberal children.

Methods

A sample of 282 prepuberal children aged 5–9 years (144 boys) participated in the study. A trained sonographer obtained six B-mode images from femoral rectus for muscle thickness, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and area of the muscle of interest, were captured, and muscle ultrasound parameters (echo-intensity: EI uncorrected, EI correct equations) and intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) were extracted. Lean muscle tissue has low EI, whereas intramuscular fat and connective tissue have high EI. Physical fitness components (cardiorespiratory fitness, upper and lower muscle strength, speed-agility, and overall fitness levels) were also evaluated. Children were categorized as fit or unfit for each specific fitness test.

Results

After adjustment for sex and age, higher physical fitness components and overall fitness (z-score) levels were negatively associated with EI, IMAT, and SAT (cardiorespiratory fitness β range = −0.264 to −0.298; upper-muscular strength β range = −0.389 to −0.457; and lower-muscular strength β range = −0.202 to −0.279; and speed-agility β range = −0.257 to −0.302). Children categorized as fit according to four physical fitness components had lower EI uncorrected, EI correct equation 1–2, IMAT, and SAT than unfit children for each respective tests (all Ps < 0.001).

Conclusion

Physical fitness components are inversely associated with EI, IMAT, SAT after adjusting for potential confounders, including sex and age, in prepuberal children. The present study strengthens the idea that muscle and adiposity parameters is affected by physical fitness even from early childhood.

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Fig. 1: Illustrative representation of the experimental model (upper panel).
Fig. 2: Differences in muscle quality and fat fractions of echo-intensity uncorrected, echo-intensity corrected equation 1–2, IMAT, and SAT of VO2peak(laps)-fit vs. VO2peak(laps)-unfit and relative HGS-fit vs. relative HGS-unfit prepuberal children.
Fig. 3: Differences in muscle quality and fat fractions of echo-intensity uncorrected, echo-intensity corrected equation 1–2, IMAT, and SAT of SLJ-fit vs. SBJ-unfit and speed-agility-fit vs. speed-agility-unfit prepuberal children.
Fig. 4: Associations between overall physical fitness (z-score) with muscle quality parameters and SAT in prepuberal children.

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Funding

This study was funded by grant CENEDUCA1/2019 from the Department of Education of the Government of Navarra (Spain). AGH is a Miguel Servet Fellow (Instituto de Salud Carlos III – CP18/0150).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Yesenia García-Alonso, Mikel Izquierdo, Robinson Ramírez-Vélez.

  2. These authors jointly supervised this work: Antonio García-Hermoso, Alicia M. Alonso-Martínez.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra (HUN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain

    Yesenia García-Alonso, Antonio García-Hermoso, Alicia M. Alonso-Martínez, Gaizka Legarra-Gorgoñon, Mikel Izquierdo & Robinson Ramírez-Vélez

  2. CIBER of Frailty and Healthy Aging (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

    Mikel Izquierdo & Robinson Ramírez-Vélez

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  1. Yesenia García-Alonso
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Contributions

AGH, RRV, and MI researched and analyzed data, and wrote the paper. YGA, GLG, and AMAM researched data and revised the paper. All authors approved the final paper. YGA and AMAM take primary responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

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Correspondence to Robinson Ramírez-Vélez.

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García-Alonso, Y., García-Hermoso, A., Alonso-Martínez, A.M. et al. Associations between physical fitness components with muscle ultrasound parameters in prepuberal children. Int J Obes 46, 960–968 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-022-01066-7

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