Doctor, ask your perimenopausal patient about her physical fitness; association of self-reported physical fitness with cardiometabolic and mental health in perimenopausal women: the FLAMENCO project

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the association of self-reported physical fitness (PF) and its components with cardiometabolic and mental health in perimenopausal women. Methods: These cross-sectional analyses included 191 participants (53 +/- 4 y old) from the FLAMENCO project. Self-reported PF was assessed with the International Fitness Scale (IFIS). Body mass index (BMI), fat mass (FM), waist circumference (WC), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, C-reactive protein (CRP), and glucose were measured. The Beck's Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Life Orientation Test Revised, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule were used to assess mental health. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, greater overall PF was associated with lower BMI, FM, WC (P < 0.001), DBP and CRP, and higher HDL-C (P < 0.05). Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), speed-agility, and flexibility were associated with lower BMI, WC, and FM (P < 0.001), and muscle strength (MS) with lower WC and FM (P < 0.05). In addition, CRF, MS, and speed-agility were associated with lower CRP (P < 0.01), and flexibility with enhanced triglycerides and HDL-C (P < 0.05). Overall PF and all its components were associated with lower depression, anxiety, and negative affect (P <= 0.01), and greater positive affect (P <= 0.05). Overall PF and MS were associated with better sleep quality (P < 0.05), and CRF, MS, and speed-agility with greater optimism (P <= 0.05). Finally, overall PF showed evidence of significant association with less pharmaceutical expenditure (B = -7.2, beta=-0.145, P = 0.08). Conclusions: Self-reported PF was associated with better cardiometabolic and mental health in perimenopausal women. The IFIS might be proposed as an inexpensive, quick, and easy tool in clinical settings.