VPA was more strongly associated with reduced body fat and central adiposity compared with MPA and /or MVPA .
Additionally , VPA was more strongly associated with increased CRF when compared with lower intensities .
Findings were inconclusive between all PA intensity levels and CM biomarkers , and several significant relationships observed for VPA were attenuated when controlling for CRF .
A potential VPA dose is identified as yielding favorable health benefits in adiposity and fitness .
While CM biomarkers were not consistently associated with PA intensity level , the literature suggests VPA may yield health benefits above those received from MPA for reduced adiposity and improved CRF .
Background .
Increasing evidence suggests that vigorous physical activity ( VPA ) in youth may yield greater health benefits than moderate ( MPA ) or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) .
The purpose of this review was to assess the relationship between PA intensity and body composition , cardiorespiratory fitness ( CRF ) , and cardiometabolic ( CM ) biomarkers in youth .
Relations of moderate and vigorous physical activity to fitness and fatness in adolescents.
BACKGROUND It is unclear how moderate and vigorous intensities of physical activity ( PA ) are associated with cardiovascular fitness ( CVF ) and percentage of body fat ( % BF ) in adolescents . OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that vigorous PA , to a greater degree than moderate PA , would be associated with better CVF and lower % BF . DESIGN This was a cross-sectional study of 421 black and white high school students ( x age : 16 y ) .  PA was measured with 5 d of accelerometry and expressed in min/d of moderate or vigorous PA .  CVF was measured with a multistage treadmill test and was expressed as the oxygen consumption at a heart rate of 170 bpm . % BF was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry . Multiple regressions were used to determine the degree to which variance in CVF and % BF was explained by PA , after control for age , sex , race , and the sex x race interaction . RESULTS A higher index for CVF was associated with higher amounts of moderate and vigorous PA ;  more variance was explained by vigorous than by moderate PA .  Lower % BF was associated with higher amounts of vigorous PA but not with the amount of moderate PA . CONCLUSION Black and white adolescents who engaged in relatively large amounts of free-living vigorous exercise were likely to be relatively fit and lean
VPA was more strongly associated with reduced body fat and central adiposity compared with MPA and /or MVPA .
Additionally , VPA was more strongly associated with increased CRF when compared with lower intensities .
Findings were inconclusive between all PA intensity levels and CM biomarkers , and several significant relationships observed for VPA were attenuated when controlling for CRF .
A potential VPA dose is identified as yielding favorable health benefits in adiposity and fitness .
While CM biomarkers were not consistently associated with PA intensity level , the literature suggests VPA may yield health benefits above those received from MPA for reduced adiposity and improved CRF .
Background .
Increasing evidence suggests that vigorous physical activity ( VPA ) in youth may yield greater health benefits than moderate ( MPA ) or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) .
The purpose of this review was to assess the relationship between PA intensity and body composition , cardiorespiratory fitness ( CRF ) , and cardiometabolic ( CM ) biomarkers in youth .