Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2015;37(6):278-282
DOI 10.1590/SO100-720320150005326
to analize the level of functional fitness of a group of postmenopausal women in
the city of Presidente Prudente using the set of functional fitness tests of the
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and to
check whether there are differences between groups of women in the fifth and sixth
decade of life.
This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 175 postmenopausal women (follicle
stimulating hormone level>26.72 mIU/L) in the city of Presidente Prudente in
2013. The inclusion criteria were not being part of any type of systematic motor
intervention for at least six months before the collection of research data;
absence of motor or cognitive impairment that would prevent the evaluation
protocols, and absence of chronic or degenerative disease, musculoskeletal injury
or comorbidity that could prevent or limit the evaluations. The women were
evaluated by the same trained examiners. The 50 to 59 year group showed a mean age
of 55.3±4.5 years, mean FSH values of 53.5±21.1 mIU/mL, mean coordination of
11.4±2.2 seconds, mean strength of 20.1±3.9 repetitions, mean flexibility of
51.7±11.8 cm, mean 23.2±2.8 seconds agility and mean aerobic resistance of
500±43/2 . The 60 to 69 year group had a mean age of 65.1±4.1 years with FSH
54.9±15.9, 11.6±2.6 seconds coordination, strength 20.3±4.7 repetitions, 54.6±11.2
cm flexibility, agility 24.7±4.3 seconds, and aerobic resistance of 508±51
seconds.
It was possible to analyze the functional fitness of postmenopausal women through
the set of the American Alliance testing for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance with no significant differences between groups for the
variables strength, flexibility, aerobic capacity and coordination, and with only
the speed variable showing significant differences. We recommend further studies
seeking to formulate normative values for the population in question.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2014;36(2):84-89
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032014000200007
To identify and relate body fat percentage (skin fold measures), body mass index
(BMI) and age at menarcheto aerobic capacity using the indirect VO2
maximum value (VO2 max) of girls in the second cycle of primary school.
A total of 197 girls aged 13.0±1.2 years on average, students from two public
schools in the city of Atibaia in São Paulo, were evaluated. Anthropometric
evaluation of skin folds was performed using the Slaughter protocol for teenage
girls, and BMI (kg/m2) was based on "Z score" (graphic of percentile)
according to WHO recommendations. The Léger protocol was used to determine
VO2 max. Pearson linear regression and the Student t-test were used
for statistical analysis.
22.3% of the girls were overweight and 3.5% were obese according to the
classification proposed by the WHO; 140 (71.1%) girls reported menarche. The
average age at menarche was 12.0±1.0 years and was significantly higher in the
group with normal BMI (12.2±0.9 years) than in the overweight or obese groups
(11.6±1.0 years). The average indirect VO2 max value was 39.6±3.7
mL/kg/min, ranging from 30.3 to 50.5 mL/kg/min. The advance of chronological age
and early age at menarche were positively correlated with lower VO2 max
values.
This study showed that 25.8% of the girls had aBMI value above WHO
recommendations. Girls with higher BMI and higher body fat percentage had lower
VO2 max. The earlier age at menarche and the advance of
chronological age were the most important factors for the reduction of aerobic
capacity. The ageat menarche was higher in girls with adequate BMI compared
tooverweight or obese girls.