Fitness-related physical activity intensity explains most of the association between accelerometer data and cardiometabolic health in persons 50–64 years old

Objectives To investigate the physical activity (PA) intensity associated with cardiometabolic health when considering the mediating role of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Methods A subsample of males and females aged 50–64 years from the cross-sectional Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study was investigated. PA was measured by accelerometry and CRF by a submaximal cycle test. Cardiometabolic risk factors, including waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides and glycated haemoglobin, were combined to a composite score. A mediation model by partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the role of CRF in the association between PA and the composite score. Results The cohort included 4185 persons (51.9% female) with a mean age of 57.2 years. CRF mediated 82% of the association between PA and the composite score. The analysis of PA patterns revealed that moderate intensity PA explained most of the variation in the composite score, while vigorous intensity PA explained most of the variation in CRF. When including both PA and CRF as predictors of the composite score, the importance of vigorous intensity increased. Conclusion The highly interconnected role of CRF in the association between PA and cardiometabolic health suggests limited direct effects of PA on cardiometabolic health beyond its impact on CRF. The findings highlight the importance of sufficient PA intensity for the association with CRF, which in turn is linked to better cardiometabolic health.