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

ABSTRACT

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Sedentary behaviour
• sitting
• exercise
• blood glucose
• insulin
• triglycerides

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical approval information

Ethical approval for both studies was obtained from the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee (Health) (ALPhA study 09/239, ABPA study 13/112) and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Both studies were registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ALPhA study ACTRN12610000953033, ABPA study ACTRN12614000624684)

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1792190.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Lottery Health Research [326803]; National Heart Foundation of New Zealand [1745]; National Heart Foundation of New Zealand [1527].