Key result
Three hours of uninterrupted sitting decreases FMD by ~2%, an impairment attenuated by habitual physical activity.
Why the study?
Although physical activity may mitigate the deleterious effects of sitting time, the relationship between habitual physical activity levels and sitting-induced endothelial impairment remains unclear.
Does habitual moderate-to-vigorous physical activity attenuate sitting-induced endothelial dysfunction in healthy adults?
Does habitual moderate-to-vigorous physical activity attenuate sitting-induced endothelial dysfunction in healthy adults?
Standardized Mean Difference: 1.56
Habitual moderate-to-vigorous physical activity attenuates the acute endothelial dysfunction and lower-limb fluid accumulation caused by prolonged sitting.
Prolonged sitting may impair endothelial function; leaves open whether habitual activity attenuates this in randomized trials.
Prolonged sitting is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, partly due to its cumulative endothelial dysfunction. Although physical activity may mitigate the deleterious effects of sitting time, the relationship between habitual physical activity levels and sitting-induced endothelial impairment remains unclear. Thus, we aimed to examine the association between sitting-induced endothelial dysfunction and habitual physical activity in healthy adults. This quasi-experimental pre-post study evaluated 15 healthy adults exposed to 3 hours of uninterrupted sitting. Baseline and post-intervention measurements of calf circumference (CC) and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the superficial femoral artery were taken. Physical activity was assessed via the long International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Endothelial function significantly decreased after sitting (ΔFMD = -2.15%, d=1.56), and CC significantly increased (ΔCC = +1.24 cm, d=0.74). An inverse correlation was found between total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and ΔFMD (ρ = -0.57, p < 0.05). The linear mixed model showed that prolonged sitting effects on ΔFMD were significantly moderated by baseline MVPA level (Time×MVPA interaction: F(1,12) = 7.69, p = 0.017). Prolonged sitting acutely impairs endothelial function and promotes lower-limb fluid accumulation. Habitual MVPA may attenuate the adverse vascular impact of acute sitting, reinforcing its importance for vascular health.
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Soto-Rodríguez et al. (2026) studied Healthy (n=15). 3 hours of uninterrupted sitting vs. Baseline was evaluated on Change in flow-mediated dilation (ΔFMD) (d=1.56). Three hours of uninterrupted sitting significantly decreased flow-mediated dilation (ΔFMD = -2.15%, d=1.56), an impairment that was significantly attenuated by higher habitual physical activity (p=0.017).
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