The Effect of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting With Resistance Exercise Breaks on Cardiovascular and Metabolic Outcomes
Year: 2017
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Resistance exercises to break up prolonged sitting have only recently been studied with promising results. However, it remains unclear if a more feasible, guidelines-based approach can yield acute health benefits. PURPOSE: To compare resistance exercise breaks (REX) to prolonged sitting (SIT) in a simulated office environment for effects on cardiometabolic and other health outcomes over a simulated work period. METHODS: Fourteen adults (age: 53.4±9.5 years, BMI: 30.9±4.8 kg/m2) completed two 4-hour conditions in random order: prolonged sitting (SIT) and resistance exercise breaks (REX). Glucose, triglycerides, blood pressure and heart rate, discomfort, fatigue, and sleepiness were measured at baseline and every hour after (5 total). Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured before and after each condition. Acceptability of REX programming was measured using 5 Likert scale questions. Linear mixed models were used to analyze differences for overall condition effect for all outcomes and differences at each hour (post hoc), with Cohen’s d reported to display magnitude when necessary. RESULTS: Overall differences between conditions in favor of REX were approaching significance for discomfort, mental fatigue, and physical fatigue (p<0.10). Heart rate was significantly higher in the REX vs. SIT condition (3.3 bpm, p<0.001, d=0.35). A post hoc analysis for individual time points for each outcome observed statistically significant differences for glucose (hour 1: -12.5 mg/dL, p=0.004, d=1.02) and mental fatigue (hour 4: -0.48 log-points, p=0.016, d=0.37) in favor of the REX condition and a difference in favor of the SIT condition for heart rate (all time points, ≤4.2 bpm, p≤0.044, d≤0.45). For questions on acceptability of the program, the majority (>50%) of participants rated acceptability/feasibility for implementation of the REX program in their own office environment as “high” or “very high” for all questions. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that low intensity, once per hour, resistance exercise activity breaks can potentially be beneficial to several acute health outcomes and have promising ratings of acceptability. However, this can potentially increase resting heart rate, acutely. These findings suggest that resistance exercise breaks may be a feasible, health-enhancing intervention in desk-based employees that warrant further long-term research.
Author: Robert J. Kowalsky
Language: English
Topic: Physical Activity and Health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2768153099