Samenvatting

High consumption of carbohydrates is linked to metabolic syndrome, possibly via the endogenous formation of advanced glycated end-products. Many Dutch elementary school children have a carbohydrate intake of >130g/day, the estimated minimum requirement. In this observational study, 126 Dutch elementary school children (5-12y of age) from two schools differing in frequency of gym lessons (2 or 5 times a week) were included. In all participants, height, weight, waist circumference, autofluorescence of skin glycated end-products (AGE-score), sports activity and carbohydrate consumption were recorded once. Sports activities in leisure time differentiated participants in ‘sportsmen’ and ‘non-sportsmen’. Carbohydrate intake and AGE score were positively associated in non-sportsmen (p<0.003), but negatively in sportsmen (p<0.002). In sportsmen, but not in non-sportsmen (p>0.50), a positive association was found (p<0.002) between carbohydrate intake and subject age. The intake of total carbohydrate and carbohydrates from juices and soft drinks was lower (p<0.001) at the Wassenberg School relative to the Alexander School. Based on waist to height ratio, >95% of the children had normal fat mass. No correlations were found between waist to height ratio or BMI and carbohydrate intake. Waist to height ratio was positively associated with BMI (p<0.001)) and subject age (p<0.001). Of all principal parameters, AGE score is most affected by being sportsmen or not (p<0.001). This study indicates that an increased intake of carbohydrates can be counteracted by sufficient physical activity (>2.5 hours per week). This implies that skin autofluorescence is a fast and non-invasive method to screen children for life style.