Cardiorespiratory fitness and submaximal exercise dynamics in normal-weight obesity and metabolically healthy obesity

Purpose Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is critical for cardiovascular health. Normal-weight obesity (NWO) and metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but a comparison of CRF and submaximal exercise dynamics against rigorously defined low- and high-risk groups is lacking. Methods Four groups (N = 40; 10/group) based on body mass index (BMI), body fat %, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors were recruited: healthy controls (CON; BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m 2 , body fat 30 kg/m 2 , body fat ≥ 25% [M] or ≥ 35% [F], 2 + risk factors). All participants completed a V ˙ O 2peak test on a cycle ergometer. Results V ˙ O 2peak was similarly low in NWO (27.0 ± 4.8 mL/kg/min), MHO (25.4 ± 6.7 mL/kg/min) and MUO (24.6 ± 10.0 mL/kg/min) relative to CON (44.2 ± 11.0 mL/kg/min) when normalized to total body mass ( p’s