Year: 2016
Type: article
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: To compare the acute effects of uninterrupted sitting with sitting interrupted by brief bouts of light-intensity walking on self-reported fatigue, cognition, neuroendocrine biomarkers and cardiometabolic risk markers in overweight/obese adults. DESIGN: Randomised two-condition crossover trial. SETTING: Laboratory study conducted in Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 19 overweight/obese adults (45-75 years). INTERVENTIONS: After an initial 2 h period seated, participants consumed a meal-replacement beverage and completed (on 2 days separated by a 6-day washout period) each condition over the next 5 h: uninterrupted sitting (sedentary condition) or sitting with 3 min bouts of light-intensity walking every 30 min (active condition). PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-reported fatigue, executive function and episodic memory at 0 h, 4 h and 7 h. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Neuroendocrine biomarkers and cardiometabolic risk markers (blood collections at 0 h, 4 h and 7 h, blood pressure and heart rate measured hourly and interstitial glucose measured using a continuous glucose monitoring system). RESULTS: During the active condition, fatigue levels were lower at 4 h (-13.32 (95% CI -23.48 to -3.16)) and at 7 h (-10.73 (95% CI -20.89 to -0.58)) compared to the sedentary condition. Heart rate was higher at 4 h (4.47 (95% CI 8.37 to 0.58)) and at 7 h (4.32 (95% CI 8.21 to 0.42)) during the active condition compared to the sedentary condition. There were no significant differences between conditions by time for other variables. In the sedentary condition, changes in fatigue scores over time correlated with a decrease in heart rate and plasma dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and an increase in plasma dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG). CONCLUSIONS: Interrupting prolonged sitting with light-intensity walking breaks may be an effective fatigue countermeasure acutely. Fatigue levels corresponded with the heart rate and neuroendocrine biomarker changes in uninterrupted sitting in this pilot study. Further research is needed to identify potential implications, particularly for the occupational health context. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12613000137796; Results.
Source: BMJ Open
Language: English
Topic: Physical Activity and Health
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,839
Funders: Pfizer, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Vetenskapsrådet, Forskningsrådet om Hälsa, Arbetsliv och Välfärd, Stiftelsen för Medicinsk Forskning i Skellefteå, Servier, Allergan, Medical Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council
Awards: Too much sitting and too little exercise: changing environments to help Australians sit less, move more and improve their health, Research Fellowship, G3848992922, Sedentary Behaviour and Women's Cardio-metabolic Health, Research to reduce sitting time and increase physical activity to prevent disease and promote better health, Unlocking the health effects of sitting to reduce chronic disease
OpenAlex ID: W2276964615