TABLE 2.
Baseline characteristics of the study participants
| Characteristics | All (n = 43) | Females (n = 19) | Males (n = 24) | Sex difference1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 24 ± 4 | 25 ± 3 | 23 ± 4 | 0.090 |
| Height, cm | 171.1 ± 7.3 | 166.3 ± 5.7 | 174.9 ± 6.1 | <0.001 |
| Weight, kg | 64.4 ± 6.9 | 61.1 ± 4.8 | 67.0 ± 7.3 | 0.003 |
| Waist circumference, cm | 74.4 ± 5.6 | 71.4 ± 2.8 | 76.9 ± 6.1 | 0.001 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 22.0 ± 1.4 | 22.2 ± 1.2 | 21.9 ± 1.6 | 0.522 |
| FM, kg | 15.3 ± 5.1 | 18.6 ± 3.3 | 12.7 ± 4.9 | <0.001 |
| LST, kg | 46.4 ± 7.6 | 40.1 ± 4.4 | 51.4 ± 5.6 | <0.001 |
| BMC, kg | 2.7 ± 0.3 | 2.4 ± 0.2 | 2.9 ± 0.3 | <0.001 |
| Race | 0.202 | |||
| White | 19 (25) | 7 (26) | 12 (50) | |
| Asian | 14 (27) | 5 (28) | 9 (26) | |
| Hispanic | 3 (7) | 3 (16) | 0 (0) | |
| Black | 1 (2) | 1 (5) | 0 (0) | |
| Other | 6 (14) | 3 (16) | 3 (13) | |
| Physical activity level2 | 0.270 | |||
| Insufficiently active | 2 (5) | 1 (6) | 1 (4) | |
| Moderately active | 7 (16) | 5 (28) | 2 (8) | |
| Active | 34 (79) | 13 (68) | 21 (88) | |
| Medication/nutritional supplement in use | 0.412 | |||
| None | 34 (79) | 13 (68) | 21 (88) | |
| Multivitamin/mineral | 5 (12) | 3 (16) | 2 (8) | |
| Antidepressant | 3 (7) | 2 (11) | 1 (4) | |
| Antihistamine | 1 (2) | 1 (5) | 0 (0) | |
| Birth control method in use | N/A | N/A | ||
| None | 9 (21) | 9 (47) | ||
| Birth control pills | 9 (21) | 9 (47) | ||
| Non-hormonal intrauterine device | 1 (2) | 1 (6) | ||
| Blood markers | ||||
| ALT, U/L | 22 ± 10 | 18 ± 5 | 24 ± 12 | 0.058 |
| AST, U/L | 25 ± 21 | 21 ± 5 | 29 ± 27 | 0.233 |
| Serum albumin, g/L | 45 ± 2 | 43 ± 2 | 47 ± 2 | <0.001 |
| Creatinine, mmol/L | 80 ± 13 | 70 ± 10 | 88 ± 9 | <0.001 |
| Estimated GFR, mL/min/1.73m2 | 106 ± 14 | 105 ± 15 | 107 ± 13 | 0.572 |
| Sodium, mmol/L | 141 ± 2 | 139 ± 2 | 142 ± 1 | <0.001 |
| Potassium, mmol/L | 4.3 ± 0.3 | 4.3 ± 0.3 | 4.4 ± 0.2 | 0.177 |
| Chloride, mmol/L | 104 ± 2 | 104 ± 2 | 104 ± 2 | 0.742 |
| TSH, mU/L | 1.74 ± 0.74 | 1.90 ± 0.75 | 1.61 ± 0.72 | 0.211 |
Data are expressed as mean ± SD or n (%).
1
P values refer to differences between females and males. For continuous variables, P values were detected with the use of an independent-samples t-test or Mann–Whitney U test, accordingly. For nominal variables, P values were detected with the use of the Fisher's exact test.
2
Physical activity levels were classified according to the Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire.
ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; BMC, bone mineral content; FM, fat mass; GFR, glomerular filtration rate; LST, lean soft tissue; N/A, not applicable; TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone.