Frequently interrupting prolonged sitting with light body-weighted resistance activity alters psychobiological responses to acute psychological stress: A randomized crossover trial
Background: Uninterrupted prolonged sitting and exaggerated psychobiological reactivity to acute psychological stress are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Breaking up prolonged sitting with frequent, short bouts of light intensity physical activity acutely lowers CVD risk markers under resting conditions.
Purpose: To examine whether frequent interruptions to prolonged sitting with body-weighted resistance activity can acutely lower SBP (primary outcome) and other cardiovascular, inflammatory and cortisol (secondary outcomes) responses to acute psychological stress.
Methods: This randomised crossover trial included 17 sedentary participants (9 men; mean ± SD age; 24.0 ± 0.5 years) who completed two conditions: (1) interrupting 4h of sitting with 4-min of light body-weighted resistance activity every 30-min (BREAK), and (2) 4h of uninterrupted sitting (SIT). Following the BREAK and SIT intervention windows, cardiovascular, inflammatory and cortisol markers were measured at rest, during stress tasks (8-min Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test [PASAT] and 3-min Cold Pressor [CP]) and during 45-min recovery periods.
Results: There were main effects of time for cardiovascular parameters (SBP, DBP, HR, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance [all p<.001]), inflammatory markers (interleukin-6) and cortisol (p<.05) in response to stress. Time-by-condition interaction effects revealed that in the BREAK condition there was lower SBP during immediate recovery from the CP (mean [95% CI]:127.2 [121.3, 133.4] vs 133.4 [125.5, 141.7] mmHg; p=.020), higher concentrations of plasma interleukin-6 45-min post-PASAT (2.70 [1.97, 3.70] vs 1.71 [1.32, 2.22] pg/ml; p=.010), and larger (non-significant) salivary cortisol concentrations 8-min post-CP (6.29 [4.60, 8.58] vs 3.97 [3.16, 4.99] nmol/l; p=.079).
Conclusions: Interrupting prolonged sitting with frequent bouts of light intensity bodyweighted resistance activity alters psychobiological responses to acute psychological stress. Further research should explore the longer-term implications for CVD risk.
Funding
Loughborough University
National Institute for Health Research NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre
History
School
- Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences
Published in
Annals of Behavioral MedicineVolume
57Issue
4Pages
301-312Publisher
Oxford University PressVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Rights holder
© Society of Behavioral MedicinePublisher statement
This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Annals of Behavioral Medicine following peer review. The version of record: Aiden J Chauntry, MSc, Nicolette C Bishop, PhD, Mark Hamer, PhD, Nicola J Paine, PhD, Frequently Interrupting Prolonged Sitting With Light Body-Weighted Resistance Activity Alters Psychobiological Responses to Acute Psychological Stress: A Randomized Crossover Trial, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Volume 57, Issue 4, April 2023, Pages 301–312, https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaac055 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaac055Acceptance date
2022-08-05Publication date
2022-08-25Copyright date
2022ISSN
0883-6612eISSN
1532-4796Publisher version
Language
- en