Frequency of Interrupting Sitting and Cognitive Function (FISCF)

January 12, 2026 updated by: Maastricht University Medical Center

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

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.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

33

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

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.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Interrupting sitting
Participants will engage in low-intensity walking breaks in different frequencies for 4.5 hours
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).
No Intervention: Control
Paticipants will remain seated for 4.5 hours

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mental flexibility
Time Frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
It will be assessed using the computer-based Trial Making Test
baseline and 5 hours post baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Interference
Time Frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
Interference is assessed by the computer-based Stroop task
baseline and 5 hours post baseline
Memory
Time Frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
Memory is assessed by the computer-based n-Back Test
baseline and 5 hours post baseline
Attention
Time Frame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
Attention is assessed by the paper-based d2 attention Test
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
Concentration of plasma glucose will be tested.
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
Concentration of serum insulin will be tested.
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
Concentration of serum BDNF, as one of the exploratory outcomes will be tested.
baseline, 2 hour, 3 hour, and 5 hour post baseline
Blood lipids
Time Frame: baseline, and 5 hours post baseline
As exploratory outcomes, concentration of serum total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) will be tested.
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
As another exploratory outcome, concentration of serum TAG will be tested.
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
Short version of Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire will be used to test mood.
baseline and 5 hours post baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Maastricht University Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 3, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 27, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 27, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

November 12, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 19, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

November 21, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

January 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 12, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • NL86254.068.24
  • CCMO, WMO (Registry Identifier: NL-OMON57014)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

Individuals wanting access to IPD should contact the principal investigator (hans.savelberg@maastrichtuniversity.nl)

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Starting after 6 months of publication

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Available to all researchers interested in interrupting sitting studies

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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