Association of leisure time physical activity and NMR-detected circulating amino acids in peripubertal girls: A 7.5-year longitudinal study

This study investigated the longitudinal associations of physical activity and circulating amino acids concentration in peripubertal girls. Three hundred ninety-six Finnish girls participated in the longitudinal study from childhood (mean age 11.2 years) to early adulthood (mean age 18.2 years). Circulating amino acids were assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. LTPA was assessed by self-administered questionnaire. We found that isoleucine, leucine and tyrosine levels were significantly higher in individuals with lower LTPA than their peers at age 11 (p < 0.05 for all), independent of BMI. In addition, isoleucine and leucine levels increased significantly (~15%) from childhood to early adulthood among the individuals with consistently low LTPA (p < 0.05 for both), while among the individuals with consistently high LTPA the level of these amino acids remained virtually unchanged. In conclusion, high level of physical activity is associated lower serum isoleucine and leucine in peripubertal girls, independent of BMI, which may serve as a mechanistic link between high level of physical activity in childhood and its health benefits later in life. Further studies in peripubertal boys are needed to assess whether associations between physical activity and circulating amino acids in children adolescents are sex-specific.