ESPE Abstracts

In children and adolescents, vitamin D deficiency negatively affects muscle physiology, exposing them to increased muscle damage and pain, stress fractures, and tendon structures. In addition, free radicals released when the body is exposed to oxidative stress after exercise can cause DNA damage. Vitamin D plays an important role in removing these radicals. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between physical activity and 25- OH vitamin D in obese children. Specifically, we examine whether 25- OH vitamin D levels differ when children are regularly physically active. The study enrolled 115 obese children with a BMI > of the 95th percentile. After a detailed history, anthropometric assessment, and physical examination in 115 cases presenting to our pediatric endocrinology clinic, 25- OH vitamin D levels were assessed. We defined regular physical activity as physical activity on three or more days (i.e., 60x3=180 minutes) per week. Based on the duration of physical activity, we divided our cases into two groups: (i) children who were physically active for less than 180 minutes per week and (ii) children who were regularly physically active. We also compared the 25- OH vitamin D levels of physically active and inactive obese children. The mean weight and BMI SDS were 72.31 kg and 2.98, respectively, and the percentage of physical activity ≥ 180 minutes and less than 180 minutes per week in those who were vitamin D deficient was 16.05% and 83.95%, respectively. Among children who did not have vitamin D deficiency, 38.24% and 61.76% were physically active ≥ 180 minutes and less than 180 minutes per week, respectively. We found that the average vitamin D levels of those who exercised regularly were higher than those who exercised less than regularly (P= 0.011). While the average 25- OH vitamin D level of the physically inactive patients was 14.71 ng/ml, the average 25- OH vitamin D level of the physically active patients was 18.04 ng/ml. Accordingly, the vitamin D levels of the physically active patients were higher than those of the inactive patients (P= 0.036). In this study, we demonstrate that regular physical activity or even physical inactivity prevents vitamin D insufficiency in obese children. In this regard, demonstrating this mechanism could be the goal of future studies.