INTRODUCTION:
The relationship between physical type and cardiovascular risk has been studied in several populations worldwide. In Brazil, studies evaluating this relationship are scarce, especially when physically active individuals are concerned. Objective: To analyze the relationship of the somatotype with cardiovascular risk factors and waist-height ratio (WHtR) in physically active individuals.
METHODS:
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 280 individuals, users of the jogging track at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) in Recife, PE, Brazil. To identify the level of physical activity, we used the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Individuals classified as very active, active or irregularly active A or B were included in the sample. Physically inactive individuals were excluded from the analysis. The somatotype was estimated by the anthropometric protocol proposed by Carter and Heath (1990). We determined as cardiovascular risk factors smoking, alcohol consumption, and blood pressure (BP). We used descriptive statistics to characterize the sample, and then used a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with a significance level of p<0.05.
RESULTS:
No significant relationship for the variables smoking and alcohol consumption. In the analysis of BP (Pillai's trace = 0.082; F=8.187; p<0.05) and WHtR (Pillai's trace = 0.298; F=39.081; p<0.05) there was statistical significance for the somatotype.
CONCLUSIONS:
The physical type was positive and significantly related to BP and WHtR, showing that this anthropometric indicator can be used for early prediction of the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
cardiovascular diseases; anthropometry; somatotypes; motor activity