PHYSICAL FITNESS AND BIRTH WEIGHT IN YOUNG MEN FROM MAPUTO CITY, MOZAMBIQUE

• Autor(a) principal: Tchamo,Mario Eugénio
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Outros Autores: Santos,Marcos André de Moura dos, Almeida,Marcelus Brito de, Silva,António Manuel Machado Prista e, Leandro,Carol Góis
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista brasileira de medicina do esporte (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1517-86922016000100066
• topic: muscular strength; physical fitness; birth weight; young adult

ABSTRACT Introduction: Birth weight has been considered an important marker of the nutritional transition in developing countries. Objective: To evaluate the influence of birth weight on body composition and physical fitness of young men born in Maputo, Mozambique. Methods: One hundred and seventy-nine students (aged 19 to 22 years) were divided into four groups (low birth weight < 2.500 g, LBW, n = 49; insufficient birth weight ≥ 2.500 g and < 3.000 g, IBW, n = 27; normal birth weight ≥ 3.000 g and < 3.999 g, NBW, n = 74; and high birth weight > 3.999 g, HBW, n = 31). Anthropometry and body composition were measured. Physical fitness was assessed by handgrip strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, agility, and running speed. Results: IBW showed lower values of body mass and fat free mass while LBW and HBW had high values of hip circumference, suprailiac, subscapular and abdominal skinfold when compared to NBW. LBW and HBW showed a high percentage of individuals with low performance in flexibility, right handgrip, agility, abdominal resistance, arms strength, and horizontal long jump. Around 70% of HBW showed low performance in the running speed test. Conclusion: Both low and high birth weight can influence adult adiposity and the performance in physical fitness tests.