Sedentary behavior : Is it time to break up with your chair? [Editorial]

[Extract] A growing body of evidence indicates that sedentary behavior, activities associated with low energy expenditure performed in a seated position, is associated with increased morbidity—particularly cardiovascular and diabetic—and mortality

Regular activity breaks combined with physical activity improve postprandial plasma triglyceride, nonesterified fatty acid, and insulin responses in healthy, normal weight adults : A randomised crossover trial

Background Compared with prolonged sitting, regular activity breaks immediately lower postprandial glucose and insulin, but not triglyceride responses. Postprandial triglycerides can be lowered by physical activity but the effect is often delayed by ∼12 to 24 hours. Objective The objective of the study was to determine whether regular activity breaks affect postprandial triglyceride response in a delayed manner similar to physical activity. Methods In a randomized crossover trial, 36 adults (body mass index 23.9 kg/m2 [standard deviation 3.9]) completed four 2-day interventions: (1) prolonged sitting (SIT); (2) prolonged sitting with 30 minutes of continuous walking (60% VO2max), at the end of Day 1 (SIT + PAD1); (3) Sitting with 2 minutes of walking (60% VO2max) every 30 minutes (RAB); (4) A combination of the continuous walking and regular activity breaks in 2 and 3 above (RAB + PAD1). Postprandial plasma triglyceride, nonesterified fatty acids, glucose, and insulin responses were measured in venous blood over 5 hours on Day 2. Results Compared with SIT, both RAB (difference: −43.61 mg/dL·5 hours; 95% confidence interval [CI] −83.66 to −2.67; P = .035) and RAB + PAD1 (−65.86 mg/dL·5 hours; 95% CI −112.14 to −19.58; P = .005) attenuated triglyceride total area under the curve (tAUC). RAB + PAD1 produced the greatest reductions in insulin tAUC (−23%; 95% CI −12% to −31%; P < .001), whereas RAB resulted in the largest increase in nonesterified fatty acids (tAUC, 10.08 mg/dL·5 hours; 95% CI 5.60–14.84; P < .001). There was no effect on glucose tAUC (P = .290). Conclusions Postprandial triglyceride response is attenuated by regular activity breaks, when measured ∼24 hours after breaks begin. Combining regular activity breaks with 30 minutes of continuous walking further improves insulinemic and lipidemic responses

Energy utilisation and postprandial responses during sitting interrupted by regular activity breaks

Interrupting sedentary behaviour with regular activity breaks benefits glycaemic control; however, the influence of the energy utilised during these activity breaks on postprandial metabolic response is relatively unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the energy utilisation of regular (every 30 min) short (1 min 40 s or 2 min) activity breaks was associated with the lowering of postprandial glycaemia, insulinemia and lipidemia. Using separate data from two previously performed studies (ALPhA Study n = 65, age 25.7 (5.2) y, 40% male, BMI 23.6 (4.1) kg · m−2. ABPA study n = 35, age 25.1 (3.7) y, 31% male, BMI 23.4 (3.2) kg · m−2) we investigated the association between energy utilisation (measured by indirect calorimetry) and postprandial glucose, insulin and triglycerides during prolonged sitting, and regular activity breaks.Results Mixed effects regression models indicated that energy utilisation was not consistently associated with postprandial glucose, insulin or triglyceride responses (p > 0.05 for all). Additionally, there was some indication that energy utilisation was obscuring (mildly suppressing) the effects of regular activity breaks on glucose, insulin and triglyceride iAUC.Conclusions If energy utilisation does not mediate the association between regular activity breaks and postprandial glycaemic response, it is possible that it is the frequency of the activity breaks that is beneficial

Interrupting Prolonged Sitting with Regular Activity Breaks does not Acutely Influence Appetite: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Regular activity breaks increase energy expenditure; however, this may promote compensatory eating behaviour. The present study compared the effects of regular activity breaks and prolonged sitting on appetite. In a randomised, cross-over trial, 36 healthy adults (BMI (Body Mass Index) 23.9 kg/m2 (S.D. = 3.9)) completed four, two-day interventions: two with prolonged sitting (SIT), and two with sitting and 2 min of walking every 30 min (RAB). Standardized meals were provided throughout the intervention, with an ad libitum meal at the end of Day 2. Appetite and satiety were assessed throughout both days of each intervention using five visual analogue scales. The five responses were combined into a single appetite response at each time point. The area under the appetite response curve (AUC) was calculated for each day. Intervention effects for appetite response AUC and ad libitum meal intake were tested using linear mixed models. Appetite AUC did not differ between interventions (standardised effect of RAB compared to SIT: Day 1: 0.11; 95% CI: −0.28, 0.06; p = 0.212; Day 2: 0.04; 95% CI: −0.15, 0.24; p = 0.648). There was no significant difference in energy consumed at the ad libitum lunch meal on Day 2 between RAB and SIT. Interrupting prolonged sitting with regular activity breaks does not acutely influence appetite or volume of food consumed, despite inferred increases in energy expenditure. Longer-term investigation into the effects of regular activity breaks on energy balance is warranted