Frequency of Interrupting Sitting and Cognitive Function

Official title

Effects of Sitting Interruption Frequency on Cognitive Function and Glucose Metabolism: A Randomized, Controlled Cross-over Study Involving Young Sedentary Adults

Overview

Rationale: Sedentary behavior (SB) has been associated with impaired cognitive function in elderly, and negatively impacts glucose metabolism. Interrupting sitting with physical activity (PA) bouts may exert beneficial effects on cognitive function via an improved glucose metabolism. Nevertheless, the impact of breaking up prolonged sitting with various frequencies of PA bouts remains unexplored in young sedentary adults. Moreover, we hypothesize that the pattern of the breaks modifies the effects. Thus, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are highly needed to investigate the effects of interrupting sitting with different frequencies of PA on cognitive function and glucose metabolism. We now hypothesize that interrupting sitting with different frequencies of walking breaks differentially affects cognitive function and glucose metabolism. Objective: The aim is to investigate the effects of breaking up sitting with different frequencies of PA bouts on cognitive function and glucose metabolism in young sedentary adults. Study design: A randomised, controlled cross-over study will be performed, consisting of four interventions in a counterbalanced order: uninterrupted prolonged sitting, short breaks, moderate breaks, and long breaks. Intervention: Participants will complete four conditions in a randomized, counterbalanced order: sitting (uninterrupted prolonged sitting without any interruptions), short breaks (walk 1 minute every 10 minutes), moderate breaks (walk 3 minutes every 30 minutes), and long breaks (walk 27 minutes during the intervention). Each condition lasts 4.5 hours.

Interventions

• Other Interrupting sitting with walking breaks
  Participants will engage in 27 minutes walking in different frequencies, including short breaks (walk 1 minute every 10 minutes), moderate breaks (walk 3 minutes every 30 minutes), and long breaks (walk 27 minutes in one time during the intervention).

Primary outcome measures

• Mental flexibility [Time frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline]

Secondary outcome measures (9)

• Interference [Time frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline]
• Memory [Time frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline]
• Attention [Time frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline]
• Glucose metabolism [Time frame: baseline, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, 4 hour, and 5 hour post baseline]
• Glucose metabolism [Time frame: baseline, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, 4 hour, and 5 hour post baseline]
• Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) [Time frame: baseline, 2 hour, 3 hour, and 5 hour post baseline]
• Blood lipids [Time frame: baseline, and 5 hours post baseline]
• Serum triacylglycerol (TAG) [Time frame: baseline, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, 4 hour, and 5 hour post baseline]
• Mood [Time frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Men and women aged 18-35 years;
• BMI between 18.5-24.9 kg/m2;
• SB, i.e. sitting for an average of at least 9 hours per day;
• Physically inactive, i.e. engaging in exercise for less than 2 to 3 times per week;
• Stable body weight (weight gain or loss < 3 kg in the past three months);
• Willingness to engage in four 6-hour laboratory visits;
• No difficult cannulation.

Exclusion criteria

• Not sedentary, i.e. sitting for less than an average of 9 hours per day;
• Physically active, i.e. engaging in exercise for more than 3 times a week;
• Abuse of drugs;
• Use medication to treat BP, lipid, or glucose metabolism;
• Pregnant females.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Crossover

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Prevention

Study locations

Netherlands · 1 center

• Nutrition and movement science — Maastricht

Publications

• Wheeler MJ, Green DJ, Cerin E, Ellis KA, Heinonen I, Lewis J, Naylor LH, Cohen N, Larsen R, Dempsey PC, Kingwell BA, Owen N, Dunstan DW. Combined effects of continuous exercise and intermittent active interruptions to prolonged sitting on postprandial glucose, insulin, and triglycerides in adults with obesity: a randomized crossover trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020 Dec 14;17(1):152. doi: 10. PMID 33308235
• Homer AR, Taylor FC, Dempsey PC, Wheeler MJ, Sethi P, Townsend MK, Grace MS, Green DJ, Cohen ND, Larsen RN, Kingwell BA, Owen N, Dunstan DW. Frequency of Interruptions to Sitting Time: Benefits for Postprandial Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2021 Jun;44(6):1254-1263. doi: 10.2337/dc20-1410. Epub 2021 Apr 26. PMID 33905343
• Duran AT, Friel CP, Serafini MA, Ensari I, Cheung YK, Diaz KM. Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose-Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023 May 1;55(5):847-855. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003109. Epub 2023 Jan 12. PMID 36728338
• Wheeler MJ, Green DJ, Ellis KA, Cerin E, Heinonen I, Naylor LH, Larsen R, Wennberg P, Boraxbekk CJ, Lewis J, Eikelis N, Lautenschlager NT, Kingwell BA, Lambert G, Owen N, Dunstan DW. Distinct effects of acute exercise and breaks in sitting on working memory and executive function in older adults: a three-arm, randomised cross-over trial to evaluate the effects of exercise with and without breaks i PMID 31036563
• Wu Y, Van Gerven PWM, de Groot RHM, Eijnde BO, Winkens B, Savelberg HHCM. Effects of breaking up sitting with light-intensity physical activity on cognition and mood in university students. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2023 Mar;33(3):257-266. doi: 10.1111/sms.14277. Epub 2022 Dec 1. PMID 36434768

Identifiers

NCT: NCT06700187 · NL86254.068.24 · CCMO, WMO

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗