Research

Energy balance

Higher body mass index (BMI), body weight, and waist circumference are inversely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF).

If you have a higher body weight or BMI, you may find your cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) is lower. This is a common physiological relationship. Addressing body weight through diet and activity can significantly improve your fitness levels, which in turn reduces your risk for chronic diseases.

StrongRefutesHIGH confidence
body mass index (inverse), body weight (inverse), waist circumference... were independently and consistently associated with CRF.
Johannes Zeiher et al. · Sports Medicine - Open · 2019

Why this rating

Consistent inverse associations found across 24 samples for BMI, and multiple samples for weight and waist circumference.

Source

Correlates and Determinants of Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adults: a Systematic Review

Johannes Zeiher et al. · Sports Medicine - Open · 2019

DOI 10.1186/s40798-019-0211-2

systematic_reviewCited 170×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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