Cardiovascular function in obese and normal weight children aged 9-12 - doi: 10.4025/reveducfis.v21i3.7932

Abstract

The objective of this study was to verify the cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index (BMI) in school children aged 9-12 anos). Twenty children (10 obese and 10 normal weight) were selected in a public school through simple random sampling. Data included: anthropometrical variables (weight, height) and physiological variables (blood pressure, heart rate and cardiorespiratory fitness by ergometric test). Statistical procedures used were Student-t test and Pearson Correlation with a level of 5% of significance. Most of the children with BMI inferior to 20 kg/m2 showed a consumption of oxygen superior to 45 ml/kg/min, whereas children with BMI superior to 20 kg/m2 in majority obtained the consumption of oxygen inferior a 40 ml/kg/min. In conclusion, obese presented lower cardiorespiratory fitness, demonstrating daily cardiac overload even in rest condition as a result of excess adiposity.