Consumption of non alcoholic beverages and physical activity in childhood and adolescents in Spain

Objectives: To analyze the patterns of non-alcoholic beverage consumption in Spanish children and young people based on the type of physical activity performed. Methods: We included a sample of 3,137 2-24 year-old individuals who participated in the EnKid study and completed a food frequency questionnaire and a physical activity questionnaire. We analyzed the consumption of non-alcoholic drinks (ml/day) in relation to the level of physical activity performed at school, and during leisure time, in energy-expenditure MET tertiles. Results: In all age groups significant differences were observed when analyzing the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages based on tertiles of physical activity at school and during leisure time. In all cases, the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages increased with increasing physical activity (being greater than 200 ml/day on average between extreme tertiles). Likewise, an age-related increasing linear trend of consumption of non-alcoholic beverages was observed. Conclusions: The increase in non alcoholic beverage consumption associated with physical activity by children and adolescents is highlighted.