Abstract
Purpose
Prolonged sitting acutely increases arterial stiffness, with interruption strategies only providing limited success in offsetting these rises. Acute aerobic exercise is a potent stimulus to decrease arterial stiffness. However, limited information exists on the effectiveness of acute exercise to maintain arterial stiffness when performed prior to prolonged sitting, particularly within physically active individuals.
Methods
Using a randomized crossover design, 22 young, active individuals (50% female) performed two conditions 30 min of walking at 55–65% of heart rate reserve (EX) and 30 min of standing (STAND) followed by 2.5-h of sitting. Brachial-femoral (bfPWV) and femoral-ankle pulse wave velocity (faPWV) were assessed at Baseline, post-exercise and pre-sitting (Pre), and post-sitting (Post) as estimates of central and peripheral arterial stiffness, respectively.
Results
For bfPWV, no interaction, condition, or time effects were observed. For faPWV, an interaction was present (p < 0.001); compared to Baseline, there was a 6.1% decrease for EX (− 0.4 m/s, p < 0.001) and a 4.6% increase for STAND (0.3 m/s, p = 0.016) for STAND such that there was an 11.3% difference between conditions at Pre (0.7 m/s, p < 0.001). From Pre to Post, EX then increased by 11.7% (0.9 m/s p < 0.001) while STAND remained unchanged, resulting in no difference between conditions (0.1 m/s, p = 0.569).
Conclusions
While aerobic exercise resulted in a significant decrease in faPWV prior to sitting, the prior exercise bout did not confer a protective effect against the deleterious effects of uninterrupted sitting. Future work should investigate the combined effect of prior exercise and sitting interruption strategies on markers of arterial stiffness.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data supporting the conclusions of this article can be made available by the authors, upon reasonable request.
Abbreviations
- CVD:
-
Cardiovascular disease
- PWV:
-
Pulse wave velocity
- PAR-Q:
-
Physical activity readiness questionnaire
- IPAQ-SF:
-
International physical activity questionnaire-short form
- WHO:
-
World Health Organization
- HR:
-
Heart rate
- HRR:
-
Heart rate reserve
- bfPWV:
-
Brachial-femoral pulse wave velocity
- faPWV:
-
Femoral-ankle pulse wave velocity
- MAP:
-
Mean arterial pressure
- PTT:
-
Pulse transit time
- D:
-
Arterial path length
- SD:
-
Standard deviation
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- RHR:
-
Resting heart rate
- MVPA:
-
Moderate-vigorous physical activity
- SBP:
-
Systolic blood pressure
- DBP:
-
Diastolic blood pressure
- ES:
-
Effect size
- CI:
-
Confidence intervals
References
Adams NT, Paterson C, Poles J et al (2023) The effect of sitting duration on peripheral blood pressure responses to prolonged sitting, with and without interruption: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med 54:169–183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01915-z
Alansare AB, Kowalsky RJ, Jones MA et al (2020) The effects of a simulated workday of prolonged sitting on seated versus supine blood pressure and pulse wave velocity in adults with overweight/obesity and elevated blood pressure. J Vasc Res 57:355–366. https://doi.org/10.1159/000510294
Barone Gibbs B, Kowalsky RJ, Perdomo SJ et al (2017) Effect of alternating standing and sitting on blood pressure and pulse wave velocity during a simulated workday in adults with overweight/obesity. J Hypertens 35:2411–2418. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000001463
Beck DT, Martin JS, Casey DP, Braith RW (2013) Exercise training reduces peripheral arterial stiffness and myocardial oxygen demand in young prehypertensive subjects. Am J Hypertens 26:1093–1102. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajh/hpt080
Bellien J, Favre J, Iacob M et al (2010) Arterial stiffness is regulated by nitric oxide and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor during changes in blood flow in humans. Hypertension 55:674–680. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.142190
Biswas A, Oh PI, Faulkner GE et al (2015) Sedentary time and its association with risk for disease incidence, mortality, and hospitalization in adults a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 162:123–132
Boyle LJ, Credeur DP, Jenkins NT et al (2013) Impact of reduced daily physical activity on conduit artery flow-mediated dilation and circulating endothelial microparticles. J Appl Physiol 115:1519–1525. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00837.2013.-Physi
Bull FC, Al-Ansari SS, Biddle S et al (2020) World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Br J Sports Med 54:1451–1462
Credeur DP, Miller SM, Jones R et al (2019) Impact of prolonged sitting on peripheral and central vascular health. Am J Cardiol 123:260–266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2018.10.014
Ekelund U, Steene-Johannessen J, Brown WJ et al (2016) Does physical activity attenuate, or even eliminate, the detrimental association of sitting time with mortality? A harmonised meta-analysis of data from more than 1 million men and women. Lancet 388:1302–1310. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30370-1
Evans WS, Stoner L, Willey Q et al (2019) Local exercise does not prevent the aortic stiffening response to acute prolonged sitting: a randomized crossover trial. J Appl Physiol 127:781–787. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00318.2019
Green DJ, Hopman E, MT, Padilla J, et al (2017) Vascular adaptation to exercise in humans: role of hemodynamic stimuli. Physiol Rev 97:495–528. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00014.2016.-On
Harris JA, Benedict FG (1918) A biometric study of human basal metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci 4:370–373. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.4.12.370
Heffernan KS, Collier SR, Kelly EE et al (2007) Arterial stiffness and baroreflex sensitivity following bouts of aerobic and resistance exercise. Int J Sports Med 28:197–203. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-924290
Hopkins WG, Marshall SW, Batterham AM, Hanin J (2009) Progressive statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science. Med Sci Sports Exerc 41:3–12. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31818cb278
Kelsch E, Diana JC, Burnet K et al (2021) Arterial stiffness responses to prolonged sitting combined with a high-glycemicindex meal: a double-blind, randomized crossover trial. J Appl Physiol 131:229–237. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00030.2021
Kingwell BA, Berry KL, Cameron JD, Jennings GL, Dart AM (1997) Arterial compliance increases after moderate-intensity cycling. Am J Physiol 273(5):H2186–H2191. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.1997.273.5.H2186
Kinlay S, Creager MA, Fukumoto M et al (2001) Endothelium-derived nitric oxide regulates arterial elasticity in human arteries in vivo. Hypertension 38:1049–1053. https://doi.org/10.1161/hy1101.095329
Kobayashi R, Yoshida S, Okamoto T (2017) Effects of acute aerobic exercise on arterial stiffness before and after glucose ingestion. Int J Sports Med 38:12–18. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-115019
Kowalsky RJ, Jakicic JM, Hergenroeder A et al (2019) Acute cardiometabolic effects of interrupting sitting with resistance exercise breaks. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 44:1025–1032. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2018-0633
Laurent S, Cockcroft J, Van Bortel L et al (2006) Expert consensus document on arterial stiffness: methodological issues and clinical applications. Eur Heart J 27:2588–2605. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehl254
Loh R, Stamatakis E, Folkerts D et al (2020) Effects of interrupting prolonged sitting with physical activity breaks on blood glucose, insulin and triacylglycerol measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med 50:295–330
Matthews CE, Carlson SA, Saint-Maurice PF et al (2021) Sedentary behavior in U.S. adults: fall 2019. Med Sci Sports Exerc 53:2512–2519. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002751
Milatz F, Ketelhut S, Ketelhut RG (2015) Favorable effect of aerobic exercise on arterial pressure and aortic pulse wave velocity during stress testing. Vasa 44:271–276. https://doi.org/10.1024/0301-1526/a000441
Morishima T, Restaino RM, Walsh LK et al (2016) Prolonged sitting-induced leg endothelial dysfunction is prevented by fidgeting. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 311:177–182. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00297.2016.-Prolonged
Morishima T, Restaino RM, Walsh LK et al (2017) Prior exercise and standing as strategies to circumvent sitting-induced leg endothelial dysfunction. Clin Sci 131:1045–1053. https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20170031
Naka KK, Tweddel AC, Parthimos D et al (2003) Arterial distensibility: acute changes following dynamic exercise in normal subjects. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 284:970–978. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00529
Okamoto T, Min SK, Sakamaki-Sunaga M (2018) Acute effect of interval walking on arterial stiffness in healthy young adults. Int J Sports Med 39:495–501. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0608-4476
Paterson C, Fryer S, Stone K et al (2022) The effects of acute exposure to prolonged sitting, with and without interruption, on peripheral blood pressure among adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med 52:1369–1383
Paterson C, Fryer S, Zieff G et al (2020) The effects of acute exposure to prolonged sitting, with and without interruption, on vascular function among adults: a meta-analysis. Sports Med 50:1929–1942
Paterson C, Higgins S, Sikk M et al (2023) Acute sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease research: standardizing the methodological posture. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 324:H122–H125
Peres D, Mourot L, Ménétrier A et al (2018) Intermittent versus constant aerobic exercise in middle-aged males: acute effects on arterial stiffness and factors influencing the changes. Eur J Appl Physiol 118:1625–1633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3893-0
Poles J, Burnet K, Kelsch E et al (2022) Overall and repeated measures agreement between brachial-femoral and carotid-femoral measures of pulse wave velocity in young and healthy individuals. Blood Press Monit 27:334–340. https://doi.org/10.1097/MBP.0000000000000614
Priest SE, Shenouda N, MacDonald MJ (2018) Effect of sex, menstrual cycle phase, and monophasic oral contraceptive pill use on local and central arterial stiffness in young adults. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 315:H357–H365. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00039.2018
Restaino RM, Walsh LK, Morishima T et al (2016) Endothelial dysfunction following prolonged sitting is mediated by a reduction in shear stress. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 310:648–653. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00943.2015.-We
Roy BA (2013) Exercise and fluid replacement. Acsms Health Fit J 17:3
Sapp RM, Chesney CA, Eagan LE et al (2020) Changes in circulating microRNA and arterial stiffness following high-intensity interval and moderate intensity continuous exercise. Physiol Rep 8:e14431. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14431
Saz-Lara A, Cavero-Redondo I, Álvarez-Bueno C et al (2021) The acute effect of exercise on arterial stiffness in healthy subjects: a meta-analysis. J Clin Med 10:1–14
Stoner L, Barone Gibbs B, Meyer ML et al (2021) A primer on repeated sitting exposure and the cardiovascular system: considerations for study design, analysis, interpretation, and translation. Front Cardiovasc Med 8:716938. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.716938
Stoner L, Stone K, Zieff G et al (2020) Endothelium function dependence of acute changes in pulse wave velocity and flow-mediated slowing. Vasc Med (united Kingdom) 25:419–426. https://doi.org/10.1177/1358863X20926588
Thijssen DHJ, Dawson EA, Tinken TM et al (2009) Retrograde flow and shear rate acutely impair endothelial function in humans. Hypertension 53:986–992. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.131508
Tordi N, Mourot L, Colin E, Regnard J (2010) Intermittent versus constant aerobic exercise: effects on arterial stiffness. Eur J Appl Physiol 108:801–809. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1285-1
Tremblay MS, Aubert S, Barnes JD et al (2017) Sedentary Behavior Research Network (SBRN)—terminology consensus project process and outcome. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 14:75. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-017-0525-8
Wilkinson IB, Qasem A, McEniery CM et al (2002) Nitric oxide regulates local arterial distensibility in vivo. Circulation 105:213–217. https://doi.org/10.1161/hc0202.101970
Williams MR, Westerman RA, Kingwell BA et al (2001) Variations in endothelial function and arterial compliance during the menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86:5389–5395. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.86.11.8013
Wright A, Stavres J, Galloway R et al (2023) Aortic stiffness increases during prolonged sitting independent of intermittent standing or prior exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 123:533–546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-022-05079-y
Funding
This work was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Grants R01 HL157187 and R01 HL162805A (both to LS).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
SR: Conceptualisation; Data Collection; Drafted Original Manuscript; Formal Analysis; Writing – Review and Editing. CP: Methodology; Formal Analysis; Writing – Review and Editing. LCB-F: Conceptualisation; Methodology; Writing – Review and Editing. KSO: Conceptualisation; Methodology; Writing – Review and Editing. LS: Conceptualisation; Methodology; Formal Analysis; Writing – Review and Editing. EDH: Conceptualisation; Methodology; Formal Analysis; Writing – Review and Editing.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Additional information
Communicated by I. Mark Olfert.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Riley, S., Paterson, C., Bates-Fraser, L.C. et al. Uninterrupted prolonged sitting and arterial stiffness: moderating effect of prior aerobic exercise in physically active adults. Eur J Appl Physiol 124, 1959–1967 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-024-05419-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-024-05419-0