Higher Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is Associated With a Lower Burden of Metabolic Syndrome Traits: A Cross‐Sectional Analysis of 39 197 UK Adults
Authors' conclusion
Higher CRF was associated with lower metabolic risk burden and MetS prevalence, which remained after adjustment for adiposity-related measures.
Study context
- Population
- UK adults from an independent healthcare charity; mean age 45.8 ± 9.0 years, BMI 26.3 ± 4.1 kg⋅m-2, 31% female
- Participants
- 39,197 adults
- Exposure
- Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), continuously and by sex- and mode-specific quintiles
- Outcome
- MetS trait count (0-5) and MetS presence (≥ 3 traits); primary model adjusted for demographics
Methodological detailspopulation-based
- Population-based
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Per 1 mL⋅kg-1⋅min-1 higher CRF: lower metabolic syndrome (MetS) trait count (p < 0.001)
2.9%
Per 1 mL⋅kg-1⋅min-1 higher CRF: lower MetS prevalence (p < 0.001)
6.0%
Lowest vs highest CRF quintile: higher MetS trait count (p < 0.001)
2.4-fold
Lowest vs highest CRF quintile: higher MetS prevalence (p < 0.001)
5.4-fold
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Adjustment for BMI and FLI
- Associations persisted after BMI and FLI adjustment, although attenuated
Spline analyses
- Graded, non-linear inverse associations, steepest at lower CRF levels
Individual MetS traits
- Higher CRF inversely associated with all individual MetS traits, strongest for central obesity
Original publication
Higher Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is Associated With a Lower Burden of Metabolic Syndrome Traits: A Cross‐Sectional Analysis of 39 197 UK Adults. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 17 September 2026. doi:10.
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