HIV-infected children and adolescents may be at risk for cardiovascular disease due to chronic inflammation and exacerbation of risk factors. The aim of this study was as follows: 1) compare cardiovascular risk factors, chronic inflammation, and carotid intima-media thickness (IMTc) between the HIV and control groups; 2) determine the association of HIV and antiretroviral (ART) regimens with cardiovascular risk factors, chronic inflammation, and IMTc; and 3) identify variables associated with elevated IMTc. Cross-sectional analysis of 130 children and adolescents, 8–15 years of age, divided into HIV-infected (n = 65) and healthy control (n = 65) participants. Body fat, blood pressure, glycemia, insulin, and glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol and fractions (LDL-C and HDL-C), triglycerides, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and the IMTc were measured. The results showed HIV-infected children and adolescents had higher levels of glycemia (87.9 vs. 75.9 mg.dL⁻¹, p< 0.001), LDL-c (94.7 vs. 79.5 mg.dL⁻¹, p = 0.010), triglycerides (101.2 vs. 61.6 mg.dL⁻¹, p< 0.001), CRP (1.6 vs. 1.0 mg.L⁻¹, p = 0.007), IL-6 (1.42 vs. 0.01 pg.mL⁻¹, p< 0.001), TNF-α (0.49 vs. 0.01 pg.mL⁻¹, p< 0.001), mean IMTc (0.526 vs. 0.499 mm, p = 0.009), and lower HDL-c (53.7 vs. 69.4 mg.dL⁻¹, p< 0.001) compared to controls. Systolic blood pressure (β = 0.006, p = 0.004) and TNF-α (β = −0.033, p = 0.029) accounted for 16% of IMTc variability in HIV-infected children and adolescents. In patients using protease inhibitors-based ART, male gender (β = −0.186, p = 0.008), trunk body fat (β = −0.011, p = 0.006), glucose (β = 0.005, p = 0.046), and IL-6 (β = 0.017, p = 0.039) accounted for 28% of IMTc variability. HIV-infected children and adolescents may be at risk for premature atherosclerosis due to chronic inflammation and dyslipidemia. Interventions with the potential to improve lipid profile, mitigate inflammation, and reduce cardiovascular risk are needed.

Objective: To examine the association between phase angle (PhA) and bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) and components of physical performance in male youth soccer players. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Sixty-two players from two professional soccer academies were recruited. Electrical bioimpedance was used to obtain the PhA and BIVA. Body fat (BF) and lean soft tissue mass (LSTM) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. All players completed physical tests including the standing long jump (SLJ), Carminatti’s test (peak speed at the end of the test, PS_T-CAR), 10 m and 30 m straight-line sprints, and repeated-sprint ability (RSA) test (RSAbest and RSAmean times). Results: Adjusting for chronological age, BF, and LSTM, multiple regression analysis outputs showed that PhA remained inversely related to RSAmean (β = −0.362; p < 0.001), RSAbest (β = −0.239; p = 0.020), 10 m (β = −0.379; p = 0.012), and 30 m (β = −0.438; p < 0.001) sprint times, while the association with PS_T-CAR and SLJ performance were statistically non-significant. In addition, BIVA showed that differences in confidence ellipses were found between athletes in the reference population and the study sample (p < 0.05). The tolerance ellipses indicated that the athletes in the present study had more total body water (TCW) and lower proportions of intracellular water (ICW) to extracellular water (ECW). The reference population had more TCW and ICW/ECW. Conclusions: Our results suggest that young soccer players with higher PhA values, indicating better cell integrity and functionality, have better performance in typical anaerobic running activities, such as sprinting speed and RSA performance, adjusted to age and body composition characteristics.

Identifying factors associated with physical activity (PA) is useful in planning interventions and policies. The aim of this study was to identify sociodemographic, biological, and psychosocial factors associated with PA performed in school settings. Data collected for the present study included gender, age, socioeconomic status, body fat percentage, aerobic fitness, self-efficacy, attitudes, peer and parental support, and perception of school environment. Dependent variables were light-intensity PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) performed during school time, recesses, and physical education (PE) classes. Multiple regression analyses were performed. Participating adolescents (n = 567, 53% female, 12.9 ± 5.3 years) spent 5% of school time in MVPA and 27% in LPA, 15% of recesses in MVPA and 44% in LPA, and 16% of PE classes in MVPA and 41% in LPA. Boys engaged in more MVPA in all categories. Age was inversely related with MVPA and LPA in all periods, whereas body fat percentage was inversely related with MVPA in school time and PE classes. Attitude was inversely related with MVPA in all periods and with LPA in recesses. Considering PA to be good and enjoyable was positively associated with MVPA in school time. Adolescents spent little time in PA during school. Future interventions should implement enjoyable activities at school.

To describe bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in children and adolescents infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and to compare them with data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV (NHANES IV). The study included 48 children and adolescents (7 to 17 years old) infected with HIV through vertical transmission. BMC and BMD were measured by dual energy absorptiometry X-ray, by calculating z-scores based on data from NHANES IV. The information on clinical and laboratory parameters of infection by HIV was obtained from medical records. Physical activity, calcium intake, and skeletal maturation were also assessed. Descriptive and inferential statistical procedures were used, with levels of significance set at 5%. Seropositive patients presented lower values compared to data from NHANES IV in all z-scores of bone mass (mean=-0.52 to -1.22, SD=0.91 and 0.84, respectively). Based on the subtotal z-BMD, there was a prevalence of 16.7% of children and adolescents with low bone mass for age. Individuals using protease inhibitors presented a lower total z-BMD when compared to the group that did not use (-1.31 vs. -0.79, p=0.02). There were no bone mass differences in relation to physical activity and calcium intake. In the present sample children and adolescents living with HIV have low bone mass for age, and the use of protease inhibitors appears to be related to such decreases.

Purpose: To examine aerobic fitness, total moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and also patterns in terms of MVPA between children and adolescents with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and controls, and to determine whether differences, if any, are associated with HIV, sex and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).Method: A cross-sectional analysis was carried out with 130 children and adolescents, aged between 8 and 15 years, divided into two groups (HIV group= 65 patients, control group= 65 healthy participants). Total MVPA was measured by accelerometers and 5 and 10-min bouts were estimated. The peak oxygen uptake (peak VO₂) was measured by breath-by-breath respiratory exchange in an incremental cycle ergometer test.Results: HIV-positive participants had lower peak VO₂ (39.2 ± 6.8 vs. 44.5 ± 9.1 ml.kg^-1min^-1), lower bouts of MVPA of 5-min (19.7 ± 16.6 vs. 26.6 ± 23.5) and 10-min (3.6 ± 3.9 vs. 5.8 ± 7.2), but similar total MVPA (49.5 ± 28.9 vs. 49.1 ± 30.6 min.day^-1). HIV infection in untreated, nonprotease inhibitors (PI)- based HAART and PI-based HAART patients was associated with lower 8.5 (95%CI= 12.5–4.6), 7.1 (95%CI= 10.6–3.6) and 4.5 (95%CI= 7.0–2.0) ml.kg^-1min^-1 of peak VO₂.Conclusion: Children and adolescents with HIV demonstrated lower aerobic fitness compared with the controls and the absence of HAART may increase peak VO₂ impairment. Lower bouts of MVPA were also observed in HIV group despite the similar values of total MVPA of controls.