Effects of Interrupting Children's Sedentary Behaviors With Activity on Metabolic Function: A Randomized Trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether interrupting prolonged sitting with short, moderate-intensity walking bouts improves glucose tolerance and metabolic function in children.
Results Summary
Interrupting sitting with brief walking reduced insulin, C-peptide, and glucose levels significantly compared to continuous sitting, without affecting subsequent energy intake. The findings suggest that such interruptions can improve short-term metabolic function in children.
Population
28 normal-weight children aged 7-11 years.
Effective Dosage
3 minutes of moderate-intensity walking every 30 minutes.
Duration
3 hours per experimental condition.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
interrupting sitting with short, moderate-intensity walking bouts | increase | glucose tolerance | children | - | improved | #1 |
interrupting sitting | decrease | insulin AUC | normal-weight 7-11 year olds | 32% | resulted in a 32% lower | #2 |
interrupting sitting | decrease | C-peptide AUC | normal-weight 7-11 year olds | 17% | resulted in a 17% lower | #3 |
interrupting sitting | decrease | glucose AUC | normal-weight 7-11 year olds | 7% | resulted in a 7% lower | #4 |
interrupting sitting | decrease | insulin concentrations | normal-weight 7-11 year olds | - | were significantly lower | #5 |
interrupting sitting | decrease | free fatty acid concentrations | normal-weight 7-11 year olds | - | were significantly lower | #6 |
interrupting sitting | no change | lunchtime buffet meal energy intake | normal-weight 7-11 year olds | 975 ± 387 vs 963 ± 309 kcal | did not significantly differ | #7 |
interrupting sedentary time with brief moderate-intensity walking | increase | short-term metabolic function | non-overweight children | - | improved | #8 |
interrupting sedentary time with brief moderate-intensity walking | no change | subsequent energy intake | non-overweight children | - | without increasing | #9 |
CONTEXT: Limited data suggest that interrupting sedentary behaviors with activity improves metabolic parameters in adults. OBJECTIVE: We tested whether interrupting sitting with short, moderate-intensity walking bouts improved glucose tolerance in children. DESIGN: Participants underwent two experimental conditions in random order on different days: continuous sitting for 3 hours or sitting interrupted by walking (3 min of moderate-intensity walking every 30 min). Insulin, C-peptide, glucose, and free fatty acids were measured every 30 minutes for 3 hours during an oral glucose tolerance test. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated from hormone and substrate measurements. Children were given a buffet meal after each condition. SETTING: The study was conducted at the National Institutes of Health Hatfield Clinical Research Center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-eight normal-weight 7-11 year olds participated. MAIN OUTCOMES: Patterns of substrate/hormone secretion and AUC, as well as energy intake, were examined by experimental condition. RESULTS: Interrupting sitting resulted in a 32% lower insulin AUC (P < .001), 17% lower C-peptide AUC (P < .001), and 7% lower glucose AUC (P = .018) vs continuous sitting. Mixed model results indicated that insulin (P = .036) and free fatty acid concentrations (P = .009) were significantly lower in the interrupted vs the continuous sitting condition. Lunchtime buffet meal energy intake did not significantly differ between the conditions (975 ± 387 vs 963 ± 309 kcal; P = .85). CONCLUSIONS: Interrupting sedentary time with brief moderate-intensity walking improved short-term metabolic function in non-overweight children without increasing subsequent energy intake. These findings suggest that interrupting sedentary behavior may be a promising prevention strategy for reducing cardiometabolic risk in children.