Metabolic Flexibility During Exercise in Children with Overweight/Obesity Versus Children who are Lean.

Purpose: This study examined metabolic flexibility with respect to fat metabolism during exercise in children who are lean (n=11; 10.9[0.9] y) and overweight/obese (OW/OB; n=9; 10.3[1.2] y).

Method: Participants were grouped based on body mass index percentiles for age and sex. Groups were mixed in age and sex. Participants completed two 20-minute exercise bouts on a cycle ergometer, separated by a 10-minute rest. Bout 1 consisted of 10 minutes at 50% VO2peak and 10 minutes at 75% VO2peak. Bout 2 was 20 minutes at 50% VO2peak. Absolute fat oxidation rate (FOR), FOR relative to body mass, FOR relative to fat-free mass, and proportional fat use were measured at 10 minutes of bout 1 and 5, 10, 15, and 20 minutes of bout 2.

Results: Absolute FOR was higher in the OW/OB group (range: 117.8 [55.1]-206.2 [48.3] mg·min-1) than in the lean group (81.1 [32.2]-152.2 [38.2] mg·min-1); however, there were no significant main effects for group or significant interactions for proportional fat use, FOR relative to body mass, or FOR relative to fat-free mass.

Conclusion: Children in this age range who are overweight/obese do not display impaired metabolic flexibility with respect to fat metabolism during exercise.