Korean J Sports Med.  2023 Dec;41(4):233-240. 10.5763/kjsm.2023.41.4.233.

Association between Estimated Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Insulin Resistance in Korean Adults: Results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey 2019–2021

• Han Y
• Kim Y

• KMID: 2548997
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5763/kjsm.2023.41.4.233

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (eCRF) and insulin resistance in Korean adults, and to compare this association through sex and age-specific analyses.
Methods
A total of 13,405 adults aged 19 years and older (male, 5,869; female, 7,536) were analyzed using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES) for the years 2019 to 2021. eCRF was analyzed by dividing it into quartiles using the estimation equation based on age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference, smoking status, resting heart rate, and self-reported physical activity level. Insulin resistance was measured to calculate the HOMA-IR. Logistic regression was used to predict the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the relationship between the two variables, with adjustment for potential confounders.
Results
The results showed a stronger association between fitness level and insulin resistance. Based on the first quartile (reference group), the lower the cardiorespiratory fitness level, the higher the OR. In male subjects, the lowest quartile had an OR of insulin resistance 17.65 (95% CI, 13.76–22.64). For female subjects, the lowest quartile had an OR of insulin resistance 7.96 (95% CI, 6.37–9.94). These results indicate a strong inverse relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and insulin resistance and younger groups exhibited significantly higher ORs in age-specific ORs.
Conclusion
The analysis results demonstrated that increasing cardiorespiratory fitness levels can significantly impact insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance risk.

Keyword

Cardiorespiratory fitness; Insulin resistance; Metabolism

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for estimated cardiorespiratory fitness (eCRF) and insulin resistance by age-specific (≥50 and <50 years) for male (A) and female (B). Adjusted for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, hypertension, and family history of diabetes.

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