Behavior Change and Health News
Short Bouts of Physical Activity Reduce Fat in the Bloodstream After Meals
A new study finds that accumulated short bouts of physical activity reduce fat and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream after meals. In comparison, exercising continuously for 30 minutes has no effect on blood fat levels.
The new research supports multiple 10-minute bouts of physical activity that accumulate to at least 30 minutes a day on most, if not all, days of the week as a way to reduce the risk of heart disease.
“People who cannot exercise for long durations due to low fitness levels or busy lifestyles don’t have to sit still and wait for a heart attack,” says study author Thomas S. Altena, Ed.D, of Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. “If we can encourage people to be active and accumulate at least 30 minutes of exercise in 10-minute bouts each day, it will have a positive effect on health overall, and more specifically, on the amount of fat in the bloodstream.”
Most adults are able to do short bouts of physical activity, but it is important to get a total of at least 30 minutes a day. Activity should also be of moderate intensity, such as in a brisk walk.
Altena’s team studied 18 inactive adults with normal lipid profiles. They ate a high-fat meal after exercising in continuous or intermittent bouts. Blood samples, taken before exercise and every two hours during the activity period, measured blood fats.
Blood fats normally rise after food consumption. The study showed that the rise in blood triglyceride levels after a meal was less pronounced after intermittent physical activity than after no activity at all or continuous physical activity. Researchers believe this is because each short bout of physical activity may provide a slight increase in metabolism.
“If short exercise bouts are repeatedly performed throughout the day, they accumulate; thus, the amount of calories burned after each exercise session likely increases. Our research indicates that, compared to a single session of exercise equal in duration, intensity, and caloric expenditure, regular repetition of short exercise bouts, which add up during a day, have a unique and positive effect on metabolism,” says Altena.
The research results apply to inactive adults who do not participate in regular physical activity. The research team plans to explore the subject further to determine if blood fat levels fall under similar conditions in people who are regularly active.
Emphasizing moderate intensity activity, Active Living Every Day follows public health guidelines that stress the need for the accumulation of at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. Active Living Every Day provides a realistic, practical program for sedentary adults to become and stay physically active. By using proven behavior change techniques learned through a comprehensive training program, communities and organizations help their participants improve their health and gain confidence in being active. For more information, please contact Active Living Partners at 217-351-5076 ext 2522 or michellem@hkusa.com.
Sources
Altena, Thomas S., Jody Michaelson, Steven D. Ball, and Tom R. Thomas. 2004. Single sessions of intermittent and continuous exercise and postprandial lipemia. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 36: 1364-1371.
American College of Sports Medicine. August 5, 2004. Shorts bouts of exercise reduce fat in the bloodstream after meals. Media release. www.acsm.org.
International Council on Active Aging. August 2004. Short bouts of exercise reduce blood fats after meals. ICAA in the News. Volume 14, Issue 27. www.icaa.cc.
PreventDisease.com. August 17, 2004. Exercise spurts may improve blood fats. www.preventdisease.com.
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