Leisure-time Physical Activity Habits and Abdominal Adiposity in Young Adulthood

184 Pages·2017·3.57 MB·English

by  Mirva Rottensteiner

STUDIES IN SPORT, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH
271
Mirva Rottensteiner
Leisure-time Physical Activity
Habits and Abdominal Adiposity in
Young Adulthood
Twin Cohort and Co-Twin Control Studies
STUDIES IN SPORT, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH 271
Mirva Rottensteiner
Leisure-time Physical Activity Habits and
Abdominal Adiposity in Young Adulthood
Twin Cohort and Co-Twin Control Studies
Esitetään Jyväskylän yliopiston liikuntatieteellisen tiedekunnan suostumuksella
julkisesti tarkastettavaksi yliopiston vanhassa juhlasalissa S212
kesäkuun 29. päivänä 2018 kello 12.
Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by permission of
the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences of the University of Jyväskylä,
in building Seminarium, auditorium S212, on June 29, 2018 at 12 o’clock noon.
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
JYVÄSKYLÄ 2018
Leisure-time Physical Activity Habits and
Abdominal Adiposity in Young Adulthood
Twin Cohort and Co-Twin Control Studies
STUDIES IN SPORT, PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH 271
Mirva Rottensteiner
Leisure-time Physical Activity Habits and
Abdominal Adiposity in Young Adulthood
Twin Cohort and Co-Twin Control Studies
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
JYVÄSKYLÄ 2018
Editors
Ina Tarkka
Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä
Päivi Vuorio, Sini Tuikka
Publishing Unit, University Library of Jyväskylä
Permanent link to this publication: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-7472-5
URN:ISBN:978-951-39-7472-5
ISBN 978-951-39-7472-5 (PDF)
ISBN 978-951-39-7471-8 (nid.)
ISSN 0356-1070
Copyright © 2018, by University of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä University Printing House, Jyväskylä 2018
ABSTRACT
Rottensteiner, Mirva
Leisure-time Physical Activity Habits and Abdominal Adiposity in Young
Adulthood - Twin Cohort and Co-Twin Control Studies
Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2018, 113 p.
(Studies in Sport, Physical Education and Health
ISSN 0356-1070; 271)
ISBN 978-951-39-7471-8 (print)
ISBN 978-951-39-7472-5 (pdf)
Finnish summary
Diss.
Twin study designs were utilized to investigate how and what types of leisure-
time physical activity (LTPA) are associated with abdominal adiposity in young
adulthood taking into consideration diet and other selected health factors. The
data of two studies were used: the longitudinal FinnTwin16 cohort and the
clinical FITFATWIN study. In FinnTwin16, questionnaire data together with self-
measured waist circumference (WC) of 3 383 (1 578 men) cohort members at
mean ages 24.5 y and 34 y were used to study LTPA level and waist gain. Cross-
sectional data of 4 027 (1 874 men) cohort members at mean age 34 y was used to
study LTPA modes and WC. In FITFATTWIN study, ten monozygotic (MZ) male
twin pairs discordant for LTPA (mean age 34 y) participated in series of
comprehensive health measurements including MRI of abdomen. In the
longitudinal study, an increase in LTPA or staying active during the follow-up
decade was associated with less waist gain, but any decrease in activity level,
regardless of baseline activity, led to a waist gain resembling that of persistently
inactive subjects. The difference in waist gain between the MZ twins whose
activity decreased and their co-twins whose activity increased was significant. In
the cross-sectional study, the number of sport disciplines engaged in was
inversely associated with WC. This result persisted after adjustment for LTPA
volume and diet quality. In men, all three activity types (aerobic, power and
mixed) were individually associated with smaller WC, while in women this
association was found only for mixed and power activities. The FITFATTWIN
study revealed that in the absence of an overall difference in BMI (~3%), the less
active male co-twins tended to have more body fat (~21%), and had an average
31 % more intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAAT), and 41% more intraperitoneal
adipose tissue than their genetically identical but more active brothers. IAAT was
associated with the markers of glucose homeostasis. Diet did not differ between
co-twins. The findings of this dissertation underline the importance of adopting
and maintaining an adequate level of LTPA from young adulthood onward,
independently of genes, in seeking to minimize abdominal fat accumulation and
the possible development of related metabolic complications.
Keywords: physical activity, waist circumference, abdominal obesity, diet, twins
Author’s address Mirva Rottensteiner, MSc
Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences
University of Jyväskylä
P.O. Box 35
FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä, Finland
[email protected]
Supervisors Professor Urho Kujala, MD, PhD
Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences
University of Jyväskylä
Jyväskylä, Finland
Professor Jaakko Kaprio, MD, PhD
Department of Public Health
Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM
University of Helsinki
Helsinki, Finland
Reviewers Professor Jean-Pierre Després, PhD(cid:3)
Department of Kinesiology
Faculty of Medicine &
Québec Heart and Lung Institute
Université Laval
Québec, Canada
Professor Eco de Geus, PhD
Department of Biological Psychology
Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences
Vrije Universiteit
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Opponent Professor Raija Korpelainen, PhD
Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine
Oulu Deaconess Institute &
Center for Life Course Health Research
University of Oulu
Oulu, Finland
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My PhD studies were conducted in the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at
the University of Jyväskylä, and my dissertation is based on data from the
FinnTwin16 cohort and FITFATTWIN studies, which are collaborative studies
between the Universities of Jyväskylä and Helsinki. I sincerely thank all the twins
who participated in these two studies, as well as all the personnel and students
for their valuable efforts in collecting the data. The data collections were
financially supported by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the EU
FP7 META-PREDICT project, the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism, and the Academy of Finland, all of which are gratefully
acknowledged. I am also grateful to the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Finnish
Cultural Foundation and the Faculty of Sport and Health Science at the
University of Jyväskylä for financial support for my PhD work.
First and foremost, I would like to warmly thank my principal supervisor,
Professor Urho Kujala, for introducing me the world of scientific research, giving
me great opportunities to learn, trusting me, and always having an open door.
Discussions with you have always been great learning experiences. It has been
an immense honor to work in your research group. I would like to express my
sincere gratitude to my second supervisor, Professor Jaakko Kaprio, for enabling
me to undertake this dissertation in the area of highly esteemed twin studies. I
greatly appreciate your careful editing and constructive comments throughout
this PhD process. Thank you for sharing your expertise.
I feel honored to have Professor Jean-Pierre Després and Professor Eco de
Geus as the official reviewers of this dissertation. I am grateful for their valuable
comments and encouraging words. I also want to thank Docent Ina Tarkka for
her help in editing this dissertation. And thank you, Professor Raija Korpelainen
for graciously agreeing to be my opponent in the public examination.
I would like to cordially thank all the co-authors of the original papers; Sari
Aaltonen, PhD, Leonie H. Bogl, PhD, Kauko Heikkilä, PhLic, Elina Järvelä-
Reijonen, MSc, Professor Heikki Kainulainen, Vuokko Kovanen, PhD, Tuija
Leskinen, PhD, Sara Mäkelä, MD, Sara Mutikainen, PhD, Eini Niskanen, PhD,
Professor Kirsi H. Pietiläinen, Ina M. Tarkka, PhD, Timo Törmäkangas, PhD,
Karoliina Väisänen, MSc, and Jan Wikgren, PhD. Your valuable work greatly
contributed to the articles as well as to my learning process as a researcher. I also
want to thank Markku Kauppinen, MSc, for the statistical advices, and Michael
Freeman, for language revision of this dissertation.
I am grateful to the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences for providing
excellent working facilities. I want to warmly thank all the staff members and
students I have been privileged to work with during these years. Especially, Tuija,
you guided me in the beginning of my studies, thank you for your support on
various occasions. Special thanks to your kind guidance in experimental research
and your extensive input in MRI analyses. Tiina, I am grateful that we shared
office and congress travels, and became friends also outside of the work, let´s
continue running together. Katja, thank you for always being ready to help and
discuss various matters.
The support outside of the office has also been crucial for accomplishing
this project. I am grateful to all my close friends. In addition to the office, I have
spent hours and hours in the playground during the last few years, and the joy
of meeting other families has been important for the overall balance of my life.
Dear Kirsi and Piia, I imagine that you, too, have learnt much about research
during these years. I am deeply grateful to our long conversations about
everything in life (cid:3381) thank you both for always being there for me. My in-laws in
Austria, thank you for always being so warm-hearted. I am especially grateful to
you, Christa and Philipp, my parents-in-law, for your unfailing support. My
sister Riina, whether you are near or on the other side of world, I feel immense
warmth. I am grateful for my brother’s family for bringing joy to our family-life.
I want to devote my warmest thanks to my parents, Leila and Jaakko. Your
encouragement and support, especially your help with childcare during these
years, has been indispensable. And thank you, dad, for over and over again
waxing my skis, and sharing the same interests in sports and exercise.
Finally, Christoph, heartfelt thank you for all the love, laughs,
encouragement, understanding and sport hours during these years, years that
have also included our most important life-events. There are no words to express
how happy I am that you moved to Finland, and made this all possible. I want to
dedicate this dissertation to our precious sons. Elias, Aaron, and Tobias (cid:3381) you are
the sunshine of our lives!
Jyväskylä, May 2018
Mirva
FIGURES
FIGURE 1 Participants and data utilized in the present dissertation. ................. 36(cid:3)
FIGURE 2 Flow chart of the participants in the FITFATTWIN study. ................ 39(cid:3)
FIGURE 3 Illustration showing where to measure waist circumference. ........... 42(cid:3)
FIGURE 4 An illustrative example of a MRI slice of the abdomen
at the level of L2-L3. .................................................................................. 47(cid:3)
FIGURE 5(cid:3)Persistence and change in LTPA and waist gain (cm, mean and
95%CI) during follow-up. ........................................................................ 56(cid:3)
FIGURE 6(cid:3)Differences in waist gain (cm, mean and 95%CI) during
follow-up ..................................................................................................... 57(cid:3)
FIGURE 7(cid:3)Illustrative example of intra-abdominal fat accumulation in a
young adult male MZ twin pair discordant for LTPA
over the past 3 years. ................................................................................ 69(cid:3)
FIGURE 8(cid:3)Individual paired data (1 to 10 twin pairs discordant for LTPA)
and means for difference in intra-abdominal adipose tissue mass,
12 month and 3-year LTPA habits, and energy intake. ....................... 70(cid:3)
TABLES
TABLE 1(cid:3) Timetable of the two-day laboratory measurements in the
FITFATTWIN study. ................................................................................ 44(cid:3)
TABLE 2(cid:3) Characteristics of the participants at baseline and at
follow-up by gender and LTPA categoriesa .......................................... 52(cid:3)
TABLE 3(cid:3) Characteristics of the participants by gender and number of
sport disciplines participated in. ............................................................. 54(cid:3)
TABLE 4(cid:3) Pairwise differences in waist gain during follow-up between
twin pairs discordant for LTPA .............................................................. 59(cid:3)
TABLE 5(cid:3) The most popular sport disciplines and waist circumference
among young adult twins in Finland. ................................................... 61(cid:3)
TABLE 6(cid:3) Number of sport disciplines participated in and waist
circumference. ........................................................................................... 62(cid:3)
TABLE 7(cid:3) Waist circumference, body mass index, dietary quality, and LTPA
volume among co-twins discordanta for the number of sport
disciplines participated in. ...................................................................... 63(cid:3)
TABLE 8(cid:3) Participation in different types of activities and waist
circumference ............................................................................................ 64(cid:3)
TABLE 9(cid:3) Linear model of types of activity significantly predicting waist
circumference (men N=1 874, women N=2 153). ................................. 65(cid:3)
TABLE 10 Characteristics of the male MZ twin pairs discordant
for LTPA ..................................................................................................... 67(cid:3)