Comparison of blood pressure across body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness zones determined in accordance with FITNESSGRAM® criterion-referenced standards

Purpose To compare systolic and diastolic blood pressures using the FitnessGram criterion-referenced standards for body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in Brazilian young people. Methods The study had a cross-sectional design. With institutional approval, a sample of 874 students aged 13–18 years enrolled in public schools in a medium size town in Southern Brazil took part in this study. Body mass index was calculated to represent the subjects’ body composition. The progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) test was applied to estimate aerobic capacity. The participants were classified by using the FitnessGram criterion-referenced standards. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were assessed with the oscillometric method. Results Multivariate analyses of covariance indicated that the blood pressure of boys (Wilks’ lambda = 0.97, F (6, 834) = 2.48, p < 0.05, ES = 0.02) and girls (Wilks’ lambda = 0.94, F (6, 886) = 4.89, p < 0.01, ES = 0.03) differed between fitness zones for body composition. The analyses showed that blood pressure also varied across cardiorespiratory fitness zones for girls (Wilks’ lambda = 0.98, F (4, 886) = 2.69, p < 0.05, ES = 0.01) but not for boys. Conclusions Reaching the health fitness zone of the criterion-referenced standards for body composition seems to be associated with lower blood pressure in boys and girls. Cardiorespiratory fitness had a similar effect solely in girls.