Key result
Prolonged sitting shows no effect on HR or HRV compared to pre-sitting baseline.
Why the study?
Does acute prolonged sitting or interrupting prolonged sitting alter heart rate or heart rate variability in adults?
Meta-Analysis (n=537)
Does acute prolonged sitting or interrupting prolonged sitting alter heart rate or heart rate variability in adults?
Acute prolonged sitting does not significantly affect heart rate or heart rate variability, though interrupting sitting yields a small increase in heart rate likely reflecting increased metabolic demand.
No acute HR/HRV shifts from prolonged sitting imply no immediate autonomic monitoring changes; confirms neutral short-term effects but leaves longer-term CV outcome risks open.
) met inclusion criteria. Prolonged sitting non-significantly increased HR (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0 bpm, 95% CI: -2, 3) and HRV (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.12, 95% CI: -0.08, 0.33) compared to pre-sitting baseline. Interrupting prolonged sitting yielded a non-significant small increase in HR (WMD = 4 bpm, 95% CI: 0, 7) compared to pre-sitting baseline. Sub-group analyses investigating interrupting prolonged sitting revealed small-to-moderate increases in HR in healthy populations (WMD = 6 bpm, 95% CI: 1, 10) and following walking interruptions (WMD = 7 bpm, 95% CI: 3, 11). In conclusion, prolonged sitting does not significantly affect HR or HRV. However, interrupting prolonged sitting yielded a small non-significant increase in HR, potentially indicative of increased metabolic demand. Further research is needed to investigate poor CVD outcomes via autonomic disruption from prolonged sitting.
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Bates et al. (2021) conducted a meta-analysis in Healthy adults and adults with cardiometabolic diseases (n=537). Prolonged sitting vs. Pre-sitting baseline was evaluated on Heart rate (HR) (WMD 0, 95% CI -2, 3, p=0.827). Prolonged sitting did not significantly affect heart rate (WMD 0 bpm) or heart rate variability (SMD 0.12) compared to pre-sitting baseline.
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