Fitness and nutrition play a fundamental role for many people. (Symbolic image) © IMAGO / agefotostock
What is the relationship between a person's diet and fitness? A study has now got to the bottom of this question.
Kassel – Being fit and healthy and staying that way in the long term is a topic of high relevance for many people. It's not just exercise and sport that play a major role. Nutrition is also an important factor. Quite a few people rely on diets to get rid of kilos. A study from the USA now provides an astonishing insight into the connection between nutrition and fitness. It was published in April 2023 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Study on the relationship between diet and fitness
In the study, a team of researchers led by Dr. Michael Mi investigated the relationship between nutritional quality and fitness in adults in shared apartments. Other factors that could influence the relationship were also taken into account. For example, age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoker or non-smoker, cholesterol level, blood pressure, diabetes, total energy intake, regular physical activity.
Further details on the study at a glance:
- Participants: 2,380 people were included in the study.
- Average age: 54 years
- Proportion of women/men: 54/46 percent
- Body mass index (BMI): 28 (+/-5).
- Measurement of VO2 peak value: The study participants completed a stress test on an ergometer. According to the study authors, this is the gold standard assessment of fitness. The value therefore indicates the amount of oxygen that is consumed during a workout with the maximum possible intensity.
- Harvard Food Frequency Questionnaire: 126 foods were queried. Participants were asked to indicate how often they consumed them (from never or less than once a month to six or more servings per day). On the basis of this information, the quality of nutrition was determined. For this purpose, two values were determined: Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), Mediterranean-Style Diet Score (MDS). Higher values for these two indicators suggest a higher quality diet – for example, with abstinence from alcohol and intake of fruit and vegetables.
Study results: Improving fitness through better nutrition - "You are what you eat"
The result: An increase in AHEI and MDS levels was associated with higher VO2 peak levels. This means that people with a healthy diet generally achieved a better result in the fitness test on the ergometer. "In middle-aged adults, healthy eating habits were strongly and positively associated with fitness, even when we accounted for habitual activity levels," study author Michael Mi explained the finding in a press release titled "You Are What You Eat."
Subsequently, the research team carried out further measurements. These should indicate the mechanism that linked fitness and nutrition, according to the communication. To this end, they investigated the relationship between diet, fitness and metabolites, such as amino acids.
The authors explained that metabolites are substances "that are produced during digestion and are released into the blood during exercise". The data obtained in the study suggested "that a healthy diet is associated with better metabolic health, which could be a possible way to improve fitness and the ability to exercise."
Improving fitness through diet? Study with astonishing findings
Overall, Mi was convinced, the study provides the strongest and most accurate data to date that proves a correlation that a better diet can lead to better fitness. The researcher illustrated how clear this connection could be with the following statement:
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The improvement in fitness we observed in participants with better nutrition was similar to the effect of walking 4000 more steps daily.
Michael Mi on the results of the study
Study from the USA: Observe restrictions
Mi qualifies, however, that the study was an observational study. It is not possible to conclude that a good diet automatically leads to better fitness. Nor can the possibility of an inverse relationship (namely that fit people choose a healthy diet) be ruled out. Nevertheless, a look at nutrition is probably never wrong.
However, the study should not prompt people in whose lives sport plays no role at all to use nutrition as their sole main focus. Study author Mi emphasized, however, that a "Mediterranean diet" is a good start. But the sport should probably not be neglected. After all, it is well known that a combination of exercise and a balanced diet is ultimately crucial for a healthy lifestyle. (mbr)
