PURPOSE: The exercise intensity which elicits maximal fat oxidation rate is called Fat_max, which is recommended for the exercise prescription for improving obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Fat_max is affected by lifestyle-related diseases, whereas limited data are available on the relationship of Fat_max with the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases in Japanese. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the relationship between Fat_max with the incidence of hypertension, pre-DM/DM, and dyslipidemia among Japanese in WASEDA'S Health Study.

METHODS: Participants were 1100 Japanese who completed a medical examination and graded exercise stress test. Maximal oxygen uptake and Fat_max were measured by indirect calorimetry. Participants were divided into tertiles based on relative Fat_max. Odds ratios for the prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases were obtained using logistic regression models while adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, maximal oxygen uptake.

RESULTS: 386 participants had hypertension, 143 had pre-DM/DM, and 488 had dyslipidemia. Using the highest Fat_max tertiles as a reference, the odds ratios for the second and third tertiles were 1.17 and 1.27, P for trend = 0.27 for hypertension, 0.98 and 0.88, P for trend = 0.67 for pre-DM/DM, and 1.18 and 1.31, P for trend = 0.15 for dyslipidemia, respectively.