Relationships between body weight change and cardiovascular disease risk factors in male former athletes

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cardiovascular disease risk factor profile in former athletes according to their weight-change patterns during the postcompetitive period. DESIGN: Cohort study with a retrospective assessment of baseline weight of male former top-level athletes. SUBJECTS: One-hundred and fifty top-level athletes aged 35–60 y were divided into four groups according to the weight-change patterns during the postcompetitive period (weight loss, constant weight, weight gain over 3.0 kg and weight gain over 10.0 kg). MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, BMI, percentage fat, skinfolds, waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR), resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), serum lipids and lipoproteins (CHOL, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG), and physical working capacity. A questionnaire was drawn up to evaluate current and previous physical activity, lifestyle indices and to record weight at the age of 20 (according to sports diaries). RESULTS: Weight gain over 10.0 kg in former athletes was closely associated with higher body mass index, percentage body fat, skinfold thickness, WHR, SBP, DBP, LDL-C and TG values, as well as lower HDL-C, HDL-C/CHOL ratio and physical working capacity values. After adjustment for confounders, the weight gainers over 10.0 kg revealed a higher risk of hypertension (OR 6.65; 95% CI 2.99–11.65), abdominal fat distribution pattern (OR 10.51; 95% CI 6.11–16.24), elevated LDL-C (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.15–3.06) and hypertriglyceridemia (OR 3.52; 95% CI 1.12–8.56) compared with those whose weight was constant. Weight loss and weight gain less than 10.0 kg were significantly related to increased risk for abdominal fat distribution pattern. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study showed that weight gain during the postcompetitive period was associated with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in male former athletes.