Effects of Breaking up Prolonged Sitting on Postprandial Cardiometabolic Disease Risk Markers in South Asian Adults

Effects of Breaking up Prolonged Sitting on Postprandial Cardiometabolic Disease Risk Markers in Normal Weight Versus Overweight and Obese South Asian Adults

The purpose of this study is to examine whether breaking up prolonged sitting with short regular bouts of walking can reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels after eating, which are risk markers for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. This study will compare these responses in normal-weight versus overweight/obese South Asian adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes; Physical Activity; Sedentary Lifestyle; Cardiovascular Risk Factor
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Prolonged sitting (SIT); Other: Breaking up sitting with walking breaks (INT-SIT)

Detailed Description

Participants will attend a preliminary testing session where height, weight, body fat and waist circumference will be measured. They will be familiarised with a motorised treadmill that will be used during the experimental visit below and will take part in an exercise test to determine a light-intensity walking speed for the experimental visit.

Participants will then attend two experimental visits in a random order:

1. Prolonged sitting (SIT): Participants will remain seated for 5 hours and instructed to reduce excessive movement.
2. Breaking up sitting with walking breaks (INT-SIT): Participants will rise from the seated position every 30 minutes throughout the experimental period to walk on a motorised treadmill at a light intensity for 5 minutes. After performing walking activity, they will return to the seated position. In addition, blood sample will be taken at the resting position just before each physical activity bout. The activity breaks will be undertaken on 9 occasions, providing a total of 45 min of light-intensity activity.

During each visit, blood pressure will be taken 11 times and blood samples will be taken 10 times. Participants will be given a breakfast and lunch meal to consume.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 54
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Bedfordshire
    • Bedford, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, MK41 9EA
      • University of Bedfordshire

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Self-identified South Asian ethnicity.
• Self-report sitting at least 7 hours per day.
• Normal weight, overweight or obese.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unable to speak and read English.
• Contraindications to performing light-intensity walking.
• Diagnosed cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Prolonged sitting (SIT), then breaking up sitting with walking breaks (INT-SIT); Firstly, participants will remain seated for 5 h and instructed to reduce excessive movement, only rising from the chair to void. After a washout period of at least 3 days, they then performed the INT-SIT condition. Prolonged sitting (SIT): See SIT arm description Breaking up sitting with walking breaks (INT-SIT): See INT-SIT arm description	Other: Prolonged sitting (SIT); See Prolonged sitting arm description
Experimental: Breaking up sitting with walking breaks (INT-SIT), then prolonged sitting (SIT); Firstly, participants will rise from the seated position every 30 min throughout the experimental period to walk on a motorised treadmill at a light intensity walking (as determined during the preliminary test) for 5 min. Participants will start walk on a treadmill at 30 min (so physical activity would be at 30-35 min), 60 min (physical activity will be at 60-65 min), 90 min (physical activity will be at 90-95 min), 120 min (physical activity will be 120-125 min), 150 min (physical activity will be at 150-155 min ), and 180 min (physical activity will be at 180-185 min) in the breakfast postprandial period and 30 min (physical activity will be 30-35 min), 60 min (physical activity will be at 60-65 min), and 90 min (physical activity will be at 90-95 min) in the lunch postprandial period. After performing a walking activity, they will return to the seated position. After a washout period of at least 3 days, they then performed the SIT condition. SIT : See SIT arm description	Other: Breaking up sitting with walking breaks (INT-SIT); See Breaking up sitting with walking breaks arm description

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postprandial Glucose	Incremental area under the curve for each 5 h condition will be calculated for glucose	Measured over the 5 hour condition period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Postprandial Triglycerides	Incremental area under the curve for each 5 h condition will be calculated for triglycerides	Measured over the 5 hour condition period
Postprandial Insulin	Incremental area under the curve for each 5 h condition will be calculated for insulin	Measured over the 5 hour condition period
Metabolic Load Index	Incremental area under the curve for each 5 h condition will be calculated for the Metabolic Load Index (MLI). The MLI will be calculated using the following equation: MLI (mmol.L-1) = blood glucose (mmol.L-1) + TAG (mmol.L-1). Lower values of MLI are considered better for cardiometabolic health!	Measured over the 5 hour condition period
Resting Energy Expenditure	Incremental area under the curve for each 5 h condition will be calculated for resting energy expenditure	Measured for the 5 hour condition period
Resting Fat Oxidation	Incremental area under the curve for each 5 h condition will be calculated for resting fat oxidation	Measured for the 5 hour condition period
Resting Carbohydrate Oxidation	Incremental area under the curve for each 5 h condition will be calculated for resting carbohydrate oxidation	Measured for the 5 hour condition period
Mean Arterial Pressure	Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) over the 5 h conditions. The following formula will be used to calculate MAP, where P is blood pressure (systolic or diastolic): MAP = PDiastolic + 1/3 (PSystolic - PDiastolic).	Measured over the 5 hour condition period
Heart Rate	Mean heart rate over the 5 h conditions	Measured over the 5 hour condition period

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Bedfordshire
• Collaborators: Brunel University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 26, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 20, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): March 20, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 28, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 28, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): April 1, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 21, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 19, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Endocrine System Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Behavior; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Diabetes Mellitus; Motor Activity; Sedentary Behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2019ISPAR003

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No