What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: RCT. Population: sedentary obesity (n=27). Intervention: Exercise snacks (stair climbing) vs. No exercise. Primary outcome: Change in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), abdominal visceral (AVFA) and subcutaneous (ASFA) fat area (p=<0.05).

November 13, 2024Endocrine Journal21 citationsOpen Access

Effects of breaking up prolonged sitting via exercise snacks intervention on the body composition and plasma metabolomics of sedentary obese adults: a randomized controlled trial

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

A 12-week exercise snack intervention consisting of stair climbing significantly reduced abdominal visceral fat area and epicardial adipose tissue in sedentary obese adults compared to control (p < 0.05).

JZJianming ZhouZhongda Hospital Southeast University XGXiaoning GaoChinese PLA General Hospital DZDandan ZhangSoochow University

Key Result

A 12-week exercise snack intervention consisting of stair climbing significantly reduced abdominal visceral fat area and epicardial adipose tissue in sedentary obese adults compared to control (p < 0.05).

Study Design

Type

RCT (n=27)

Blinding

single-blind

Randomization

coin flip method

Multicenter

Structured PICO

Does an exercise snack intervention of stair-climbing reduce ectopic fat and alter plasma metabolomics in sedentary obese adults?

Population

27 sedentary obese adults (mean age 21.6 years, 51.9% female) with BMI > 25 kg/m2 and low daily energy expenditure, followed for 12 weeks.

Intervention

Exercise snacks consisting of stair-climbing sprint exercises (ascending 4 flights of stairs/60 steps, 6 times a day with >1 hour intervals), 4 days per week for 12 consecutive weeks.

Comparator

Control group excluded from any exercises for 12 weeks.

Outcome

Changes in body composition (systemic and regional fat mass, epicardial adipose tissue [EAT], abdominal visceral [AVFA] and subcutaneous [ASFA] fat area) and plasma metabolomics before and after the 12-week intervention.surrogate

Short, intermittent bouts of stair-climbing ('exercise snacks') effectively reduce epicardial and visceral fat in sedentary obese adults, likely mediated by alterations in amino acid metabolism.

Main Result

p-value: p=<0.05

Limitations

Small sample size of 27 individuals
Participants were exclusively college students, limiting generalizability
Only assessed plasma metabolome without examining proteome and transcriptome

Abstract

Obesity resulting from long-term sedentary a significant threat to human health. This study explores the effects of exercise snack intervention on body composition and plasma metabolomics in sedentary obese adults. Participants in the snack group were subjected to 4 days of sprint exercises by stair-climbing per week for 12 weeks. Systemic and regional fat mass, epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), abdominal visceral (AVFA) and subcutaneous (ASFA) fat area and plasma metabolomics data were measured before and after intervention. A higher improvement of EAT, AVFA and ASFA in the snack group compared to that in the control group, with a significant interaction effect (p < 0.05). The key differential metabolites between the two groups include isoleucine, glycine and serine. The proposed exercise snack effectively reduced the amount of AVFA and EAT. The change in body composition may be associated with the altered pathways of isoleucine, glycine, and serine metabolism.

AIに質問

Bookmark

View Full Paper