SIT LESS 3: The Effect of Low Intensity Physical Activity on Insulin Sensitivity, Mood and Cognitive Performance

Background of the study: A sedentary lifestyle and obesity are well known risk factors of type 2 diabetes. The major focus of current guidelines for type 2 diabetes prevention is on energy balance. Physical activity guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes/day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). However, no advice is given how the other 23.5 hours of the day should be spent. Several recent epidemiologic studies suggest that excessive sitting, independent of moderate to vigorous physical activity, has detrimental health effects. Another possibility to sit less is by increasing low intensity physical activities as slowly walking and standing. A recent published study of Duvivier and colleagues suggests that sitting less and replacing it by slowly walking and standing has a better effect on insulin action and cardiovascular risk factors than the combination of one hour MVPA per day and sitting the rest of the day in healthy subjects (Duvivier et al. PLOS ONE 2013). Until now this research is not performed in subjects with overweight/obesity. Objective of the study: To assess the effect of low intensity physical activity on plasma insulin levels, cognition and mood in subjects with overweight/obesity Study population: 21 subjects between 40-80 years old with overweight/obesity Intervention: 2 activity regimes of 4 days: a sitting regime and a "sit less" regime