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OBJECTIVE—Little is known about the association of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and cardiorespiratory fitness with development of the metabolic syndrome, which predisposes diseases such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. We studied the associations of LTPA and cardiorespiratory fitness with development of the metabolic syndrome (World Health Organization [WHO] and the National Cholesterol Education Program [NCEP] definitions).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—LTPA over the previous 12 months, Vo_2max (ml · kg⁻¹ · min⁻¹), and cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors were assessed in a population-based cohort of 612 middle-aged men without the metabolic syndrome.

RESULTS—At the 4-year follow-up, 107 men had metabolic syndrome (WHO definition). Men engaging in >3 h/week of moderate or vigorous LTPA were half as likely as sedentary men to have …