Sports participation in childhood and adolescence and physical activity intensity in adulthood

Objectives The aim of the present study was to analyze the association between sports participation in childhood and adolescence and the practice of physical activity at different intensities in adulthood, and to verify if some sports participation characteristics such as number of sports; type of sport (individual, collective or a combination of both) and total estimated sports participation time are associated with the different physical activity intensities in adulthood. Design This is a cross-sectional study. Methods This study included 129 young adults of both sexes aged 18–25 years. Sports participation in childhood (7–10 years) and adolescence (11–17 years) was retrospectively estimated through specific questionnaire. Light, moderate, vigorous and moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity was objectively estimated by accelerometers. To verify the association between SP in childhood and adolescence and BP intensities in adults, multiple linear regression was adopted, with 5% significance. Results Analyses showed that, in females, sports participation in childhood (β = 0.315; R2 = 0.14; P = 0.020) and persistence in sports participation (β = 0.364; R2 = 0.18; P = 0.007) were positive predictors of vigorous physical activity in adulthood. In addition, the comparison according to the specificities of the sport practice, indicated that participation in two or more sports in childhood, one sport and collective sports in adolescence and at least one year of sports participation throughout childhood and adolescence were associated with longer time in vigorous physical activity intensity and MVPA (minutes/day) in adult females (P < 0.05). Conclusions It could be concluded that sports participation indicators in childhood and adolescence were considered predictors of vigorous physical activity in adult females. In addition, number of sports, type of sport and practice time in childhood and adolescence seem to predict vigorous and moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity for adult females.