Behavior Change and Health News
Fewer Steps per Day Send Disease Markers Up
Recent research by Dr. Rikke Krogh-Madsen from the Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism in Copenhagen, Denmark, reveals that insulin levels spike when daily physical activity declines. In addition, those insulin spikes can occur in as little as 14 days after activity levels are reduced.
Researchers discovered that when healthy men decreased their levels of physical activity, several unhealthy physiological changes occurred. First, the men’s insulin levels increased along with the levels of C-peptide and triglycerides. Increased levels of insulin, C-peptide, and triglycerides are associated with elevated risk of diabetes and heart disease. One of the remarkable findings of the study was the elevated risk of chronic disease even in the absence of total weight gain.
The study’s participants were 18 young and healthy men who had no family history of diabetes and were nonsmokers. Also, the participants did not participate in a regular exercise program for more than two hours each week. Before the start of the study, the men wore pedometers and averaged over 6,200 steps daily. The researchers, who divided the men into two groups, asked the men to decrease their number of steps by driving rather than walking or bicycling and other such measures. The first group’s average number of steps during the study was approximately 1,400. The insulin levels of men increased nearly 60% after two weeks of decreased physical activity. For the second group, their baseline average daily steps were over 10,500, but during the study, their average was just over 1,300. The second group also experienced increased levels of insulin.
The second group of men was also tested for additional effects of decreased physical activity. Researchers discovered these men also had increased levels of triglycerides and a 7 percent increase in abdominal fat. Surprisingly, however, there was no overall weight gain in these men. Krogh-Madsen stated, “Reduced daily activity can induce metabolic changes, which can be associated with the progression of chronic disorders and premature mortality.”
Are you concerned about your physical activity levels? Do you want to become and stay more physically active but are unsure of where to start? Then try Active Living Every Day! Active Living Every Day is the perfect tool to help people reach their physical activity goals. Active Living Every Day is an evidence-based program that helps people think differently about being physically active so they can act differently. Sessions include information on setting appropriate goals, assessing and overcoming barriers to becoming physically active, and relying on social support systems to achieve your physical activity goals. If you are interested in learning more about Active Living Every Day, please contact program manager Bhibha Das at 800-747-4457, ext. 2455.
Sources:
Gordon, S. March 18, 2008. Fewer steps per day send disease markers up .
Krogh-Madsen, R., deMille, P., March 2008. Metabolic response to reduced daily steps in healthy nonexercising men. Journal of the American Medical Association.
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