Acute moderate exercise does not attenuate cardiometabolic function associated with a bout of prolonged sitting

Abstract

Epidemiological studies suggest that prolonged sitting increases all-cause mortality; yet, physiological causes underpinning prolonged sitting remain elusive. We evaluated cardiometabolic function during prolonged sitting (5 h) in 10 adults with and without 30 min of moderate exercise leading up to the sitting. Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and posterior tibial artery blood velocity were measured at baseline and every hour subsequently. Blood glucose was measured at baseline, 3 and 5 h, with consumption of a caloric beverage at 1 h. Seated MAP and HR values were ~17 mmHg (P < 0.001) and ~4 bpm (P < 0.05) higher for the moderate exercise versus sitting conditions. A ~ 4 cm·s−1 (16%) (P < 0.05) decline in posterior tibial artery blood velocity from prolonged sitting was observed, with no benefit conferred from moderate exercise. Postprandial glucose metabolism was not different between conditions (P > 0.05). We conclude prolonged sitting may be related to decreased posterior tibial artery blood velocity. Moreover, an acute bout of moderate exercise does not seem to attenuate cardiometabolic function during prolonged sitting in healthy, young adults.