The Relationship between Body Composition and Physical Activity Level in Students of Medical Faculties

Abstract

Maintaining an active lifestyle is crucial for good health. Markers of health risk include tissue components. This study aimed to indicate which body composition elements create the strongest correlations with physical activity performed in young students of medical faculties. The study group consisted of 75 students (33 men and 42 women) from Wroclaw Medical University. Each student underwent accelerometer and anthropometric measurements and body composition analysis. Both men and women had similar physical activity levels. The study found that the amount of vigorous physical activity correlated significantly with the basal metabolic rate (BMR), fat, water and muscle content, fat-free mass (FFM), bone mass, extracellular to intracellular water ratio (ECW/ICW), and phase angle (PA), with r~ ± (0.2–0.4). The amount of moderate physical activity correlated with body mass, body mass index (BMI), BMR, FFM, and bone mass, with r~0.3–0.5. There are dimorphic differences in the strength of correlations between physical activity and elements of body composition. A greater amount of moderate and vigorous physical activity is associated with greater FFM and bone mass in men, which causes BMI to increase as well (in this case, higher BMI is not a sign of being overweight). For women, the beneficial effect of higher amounts of vigorous physical activity on reducing fat content and increasing muscle mass is more pronounced. In both men and women, an improvement in hydration is evident with increased vigorous physical activity volume.

Association between Physical Activity Level, Body Composition, and Phase Angle in University Students from Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA)

“…Higher BMI in the group with higher levels of physical activity resulted from a higher body cell mass (p < 0.01) but not from a percentage difference in body fat (p > 0.4) [31]. A related study found that the amount of vigorous physical activity correlated significantly with the basal metabolic rate (BMR), fat, water, and muscle content, fat-free mass (FFM), bone mass, extracellular to intracellular water ratio (ECW/ICW), and phase angle (PA) [39]. Similar results were obtained in our own studies, with a statistically significant correlation between a higher level of PhA and higher levels of physical activity among students.…”

“…Meanwhile, the World Obesity Federation estimates that by 2035, onethird of adult Poles (33%) will be obese [37]. In a study conducted among medical students in Wrocław, normal body weight was observed in 80% of the students [39]. The situation among students in Krosno looks somewhat better, but already 22.7% of the respondents are overweight, and 8.7% are obese.…”