A new study has shown that a healthy diet is associated with greater physical fitness in middle-aged people (Image: Shutterstock)
The study stated that cardiorespiratory fitness assesses how well the heart, lungs, blood vessels and muscles function
You have probably heard the expression “You reap what you sow”. The same applies when it comes to your health. A new study has found that a healthy diet is associated with greater physical fitness in middle-aged people. A journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, published the study’s findings under the title “Association of Healthy Diets and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in the Community.”
The team said cardiorespiratory fitness assesses how well the heart, lungs, blood vessels and muscles function, as well as the body’s ability to distribute and use oxygen during exercise. It is one of the most effective measures of well-being and mortality. Although exercise improves cardiorespiratory health, there are differences in fitness between people who exercise the same amount, indicating that other factors also play a role in their well-being. For example, a nutritious diet is associated with a number of positive health effects, but it was unclear whether it also has an impact on fitness. This study looked at the relationship between a healthy diet and physical fitness in humans.
For this study, the researchers assessed approximately 2,380 subjects with an average age of 54 years. Nearly 54 percent of the participants were female. The subjects performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test with maximal exercise. According to the team, this is the best method of measuring fitness and shows how much oxygen is consumed during the most demanding workout.
In addition, Harvard’s semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was completed by participants to measure their consumption of 126 food items in the previous year. The data was used to measure the quality of diets using the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) and Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) metrics. Both are linked to heart health. Higher scores indicated a better quality diet that prioritized fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seafood and healthy fats and less red meat and alcohol.
According to the results, the typical MDS was 12.4, while the average AHEI was 66.7. An increase of 13 points on the AHEI and 4.7 points on the MDS, compared to the mean score, was linked to a 5.2 percent and 4.5 percent increase in fitness level, respectively.
The relationship between diet quality and fitness was assessed after taking into account other variables that could influence the relationship, such as age, gender, total daily energy intake, body mass index, smoking status, cholesterol level, blood pressure, diabetes and level of regular exercise.
The researchers performed additional analyzes to identify the mechanism linking diet and fitness. They looked at the relationship between fitness, metabolites – substances formed during digestion and released into the blood during exercise – and the quality of the diet. Blood samples were taken from 1,154 study participants to analyze a total of 201 metabolites, including amino acids. A total of 24 metabolites were linked to diet and fitness levels.
Dr. Michael Mi of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, who was involved in the study, said the study shows the link between fitness and high-quality diets.
