Nutritional assessment and its role in evaluation and prescription of exercise training

Introduction:Nutritional assessment gives accurate and reproducible information as regards the existence of an optimal energy metabolism: resting metabolic rate (RMR), the proportion of nutritional principles (fat, carbohydrate, protein) used by the body in the basal metabolism, the intensity of effort during exercise where the maximum fat oxidation rate (MFOR) is achieved. These information are used for the individualization of physical training programs and for the calorie intake adjustment in accordance with the body needs. The aim of this study is to underline once again the importance of physical activity in the weight management and to demonstrate the importance of nutritional assessment in the prescription of physical training in obese subjects.Material and methods:We investigated 43 young obese, with a mean age of 21.2 ± 3.1 years old, of which 93% were females. The subject’s evaluations consisted in: nutritional assessment (using indirect calorimetry method), maximal exercise test at baseline and the end of the study (after 6 months). After the exercise test, the subjects performed an individualized physical training with a minimum frequency of three times a week. Subject’s heart rate was monitorized during exercise by a physical therapist using a heart rate monitor (Polar F3, Finland). The dropout rate from the physical training program as part of the study was 35%, in the end remaining only 28 subjects.Results:After 6 months of individualized exercise training, we noticed a statistically significant increase of the following parameters: maximum fat oxidation rate (MFOR) from 16.96±7.75 to 22.07±8.4 g/h, p=0.0043; resting metabolic rate (RMR) from 2007±300.3 to 2105±290.4 kcal/day, p = 0.0026; along with the resting oxygen uptake (VO2 rest) from 0.29±0.04 to 0.3±0.04 l / min, p = 0, 0035. The only parameter that has improved, but not reaching statistical significance was heart rate average at MFOR (HR_MFOR) which increased from 127.1±18.37 to 135±25.09 b/min. Conclusions: Physical training in young obese subjects is safe and effective; thus, this study demonstrates the increased efficiency of physical training programs regarding weight loss and higher MFOR due to a higher aerobic capacity.