OBJECTIVES: To determinate the relationship between different rates of physical activity and adiposity predictors in male and female adolescents. METHODS: One hundred and eleven children (57 boys and 54 girls) with average age of 11.62 ± 0.72 were measured. As adiposity predictors, the BMI, the body fat percentage, and the waist/hip relation were measured. For the physical activity rates, the total energy expenditure (TEE), the habitual physical activity level (HPAL), the physical activity level (PAL) and the activity energy expenditure (AEE) were calculated through the Bouchard questionnaire and the basal metabolic rate (BMR) was determined through the Schofield-HW equation. RESULTS: The sample presented significant difference between genders for age, body fat percentage, waist/hip relation and habitual physical activity level (HPAL), PAL, BMR with p < 0.05. For boys the TEE, PAL, BMR, AEE were significantly correlated with BMI (r = 0.86; r = 0.70; r = 0.91; r = 0.78) and body fat % (r = 0.78; r = 0.61; r = 0.90; r = 0.70) with p < 0.01 respectively, but the TEE, BMR, and AEE presented significant correlation with the waist/hip relation (r = 0.28; r = 0.45 and r = 0.28) with p < 0.05. For girls the TEE, PAL, BMR, and AEE were significantly correlated with BMI (r = 0.86; r = 0.82; r = 0.78; r = 0.85), and the fat % was significant with TEE, PAL, BMR, habitual physical activity level (HPAL) and AEE (r = 0.73; r = -0.29; r = 0.66; r = 0.74; r = 0.70) with p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The different rates of physical activity demonstrated a significant correlation with the adiposity predictors, except for the waist/hip relation in girls. The body mass demonstrated a significance relationship with the increase on the energy expenditure as a function of the higher energy requirement in order to move the body.
Energy expenditure; Physical activity; Adiposity; Adolescence
