Scientists have refuted the ability of sports to compensate for the harm of sedentary work
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- Scientists have refuted the ability of sports to compensate for the harm of sedentary work
A twelve-week course of high-intensity interval training significantly improves aerobic performance, but does not protect leg vessels from deterioration caused by two hours of continuous sitting. This was reported on June 10 in the journal Medical Xpress.
"Many people think that working out can make up for a day in the chair. But our data suggests something else: improving aerobic performance alone does not protect blood vessels. Sports are important, but you also need to interrupt long periods of sitting, getting up and moving," said Derek Kimmerly, senior author of the study and Dalhousie kinesiology professor.
The study involved 22 healthy young people. Eleven of them completed a 12-week interval training program; the remaining ten maintained their usual physical activity regime unchanged. Before and after the training period, all participants underwent a stress test on a bicycle ergometer to assess aerobic endurance.
Ultrasound diagnostics of the popliteal artery, a vessel that wraps around the knee and supplies blood to the lower part of the leg, became the key assessment method. Measurements were taken before and after two hours of continuous sitting. The ability of the artery to relax and expand deteriorated in both groups in the same way: both in those who exercised and in those who did not change their lifestyle.
At the same time, the trained group showed a significant increase in aerobic fitness, which confirms: vascular reaction to prolonged sitting is not related to the level of general physical fitness.
The authors emphasize that the results do not cast doubt on the benefits of physical exercise for the cardiovascular system as a whole. The point is different: the harm of prolonged immobility is of an independent physiological nature and is not overlaid by a systemic increase in cardiorespiratory reserve. To maintain the health of the leg vessels, it is not enough to exercise — it is necessary to regularly interrupt prolonged sitting.
On March 23, Medical Xpress reported on the impact of lifestyle on heart health. According to the publication, the combination of even minor improvements in sleep patterns, nutrition, and physical activity levels can significantly reduce the likelihood of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.
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