• Mª José Santi-Cano, José Pedro Novalbos-Ruiz, María Ángeles Bernal-Jiménez, María Del Mar Bibiloni, Josep A Tur, and Amelia Rodriguez Martin.
• Research Group on Nutrition: Molecular, pathophysiological and social issues, University of Cádiz, Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cádiz (INiBICA), 11009 Cádiz, Spain.
• Nutrients. 2020 Mar 15; 12 (3).

ObjectiveCardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and a healthy diet may be part of an overall healthy lifestyle. The association between cardiorespiratory fitness and adherence to an overall Mediterranean Diet (MedD) pattern and specific MedD foods has been assessed.DesignSubjects completed a lifestyle survey and dietary pattern, using the validated MedD Adherence 14-item questionnaire and two self-reported 24-h dietary recalls. Participants' height, body weight, waist circumference (WC), and CRF (maximum oxygen uptake, VO2max, ml/kg/min) were measured.SettingUniversity of Cádiz, Spain.SubjectsA sample of young adults (n = 275, 22.2 ± 6.3 years).ResultsMean VO2max was 43.9 mL/kg/min (SD 8.5 mL/kg/min). Most participants had healthy CRF (75.9%). The average MedD score was 6.2 points (SD 1.8 points). Participants who consumed more servings of nuts had higher VO2max. Those who showed low CRF performed less physical activity (PA) and had a higher body mass index (BMI) and WC compared with those classified as having healthy CRF. Nut consumption was positively associated with VO2max (β = 0.320; 95% CI 2.4, 10.7; p < 0.002), adjusting for sex, age, smoking PA, BMI, WC, and energy intake, showing the subjects who consumed more nuts were fitter than young adults who consumed less.ConclusionsCRF is positively associated with nut consumption but not with the overall MedD pattern and all other MedD foods in the young adults. The subjects who consumed more servings of nuts were fitter than young adults who consumed less. Moreover, fitter subjects performed more PA and had a lower BMI and WC than those who had lower fitness levels.

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