Abstract
Prolonged periods of limited muscle activity can reduce insulin action. Acute changes
in low muscle activity (ie, sitting) have not been assessed. In addition, unless energy
intake is reduced during sitting to match low expenditure, the concurrent energy surplus
may explain lower insulin action. The objective of the study was to evaluate the acute
effect of sitting, with and without energy surplus, on insulin action. Fourteen young
(26.1 ± 4.5 years, mean ± SD), nonobese (23.7% ± 7.1% fat), fit (peak oxygen consumption
= 49.1 ± 3.3 mL·kg−1·min−1) men (n = 7) and women (n = 7) completed three 24-hour conditions: (1) an active,
no-sitting condition (high energy expenditure of 2944 ± 124 kcal with energy intake
matched to expenditure) = NO-SIT; (2) low energy expenditure (sitting) of 2195 ± 121
kcal with no reduction in energy intake (energy surplus) = SIT; and (3) sitting with
energy intake reduced to 2139 ± 118 kcal to match low expenditure (energy balance)
= SIT-BAL. Insulin action was measured the following morning during a continuous infusion
of [6,6-2H]-glucose. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models with planned contrasts.
Compared with NO-SIT, insulin action, defined as whole-body rate of glucose disappearance
normalized to mean plasma insulin, was reduced by 39% in SIT (P < .001) and by 18% in SIT-BAL (P = .07). Insulin action was higher in SIT-BAL compared with SIT (P = .04). One day of sitting considerably reduced insulin action; this effect was minimized,
but not prevented, when energy intake was reduced to match expenditure. Strategies
to limit daily sitting may reduce metabolic disease risk.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 11, 2010
Accepted:
August 30,
2010
Received:
July 15,
2010
Footnotes
Institutional approval: The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Missouri prior to initiation of the study. All subjects gave their verbal and written informed consent before participating.
Author contributions: The authors' responsibilities were as follows—BRS: experimental design, conducting the study, analysis and interpretation of the data, drafting of the manuscript; KG: conducting the study, analysis and interpretation of data; TWZ: experimental design, data interpretation, editing of the manuscript; MTH: experimental design, data interpretation, editing of the manuscript; BB: conception and design of the study, data interpretation, revising the manuscript.
Identification
Copyright
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