Moderate physical activity from childhood contributes to metabolic health and reduces hepatic fat accumulation in adult rats

Background: Obesity, oxidative stress and inflammation, by triggering insulin resistance, may contribute to the accumulation of hepatic fat, and this accumulation by lipotoxicity can lead the organ to fail. Because obesity is growing at an alarming rate and, worryingly, in a precocious way, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of moderate physical training performed from childhood to adulthood on liver fat metabolism in rats. Methods. Twenty rats that were 28days old were divided into two groups: control (C) and trained (T). The C Group was kept in cages without exercise, and the T group was submitted to swimming exercise for 1hour/day, 5days/week from 28 to 90days of age (8weeks) at 80% of the anaerobic threshold determined by the lactate minimum test. At the end of the experiment, the body weight gain, insulin sensitivity (glucose disappearance rate during the insulin tolerance test), concentrations of free fatty acids (FFA) and triglycerides (TG) and hepatic lipogenic rate were analyzed. For the statistical analysis, the Student t-test was used with the level of significance preset at 5%. Results: The T group showed lower body weight gain, FFA concentrations, fat accumulation, hepatic lipogenic rate and insulin resistance. Conclusion: The regular practice of moderate physical exercise from childhood can contribute to the reduction of obesity and insulin resistance and help prevent the development of accumulation of hepatic fat in adulthood. © 2013de Moura et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Health related quality of life is differently associated with leisure-time physical activity intensities according to gender: a cross-sectional approach

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Physical activity levels and access to places to be physically active

The built environment is recognized as having an impact on health and physical activity. Ecological theories of physical activity suggest that enhancing access to places to be physically active may increase activity levels. Studies show that users of fitness facilities are more likely to be active than inactive and active people are more likely to report access to fitness facilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the ecologic relationship between density of fitness facilities and self-reported levels of physical activity in adults in selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the United States.^ The 2007 MSA Business Patterns and the 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were used to gather fitness facility and physical activity data for 141 MSAs in the United States. Pearson correlations were performed between fitness facility density (number of facilities/100,000 people) and six summary measures of physical activity prevalence. Regional analysis was done using the nine U.S. Standard Regions for Temperature and Precipitation. ^ Direct correlations between fitness facility density and the percent of those physically active (r=0.27, 95% CI 0.11, 0.42, p=0.0012), those meeting moderate-intensity activity guidelines, (r=0.23, 95% CI 0.07, 0.38, p=0.006), and those meeting vigorous-intensity activity guidelines (r=0.30, 95% CI 0.14, 0.44, p=0.003) were found. An inverse correlation was found between fitness facility density and the percent of people physically inactive (r=-0.45, 95% CI -0.57, -0.31), p<0.0001). Regional analysis showed the same trends across most regions.^ Access to fitness facilities, defined here as fitness facility density, is related to physical activity levels. Results suggest the potential importance of the influence of the built environment on physical activity behaviors. Public health officials and city planners should consider the possible positive effect that increasing the number of fitness facilities in communities would have on activity levels.^

Age-related differences in physical activity levels of young adults

Purpose: To examine age-related differences in the physical activity behaviors of young adults. Methods: We examined rates of participation in vigorous- and moderate-intensity leisure-time activity and walking, as well as an index of physical activity sufficient for health benefits in three Australian cross-sectional samples, for the age ranges of 18-19, 20-24, and 25-29 yr. Data were collected in 1991, 1996, and 1997/8. Results: There was at least a 15% difference in vigorous-intensity leisure-time physical activity from the 18-19 yr to the 25-29 yr age groups, and at least a 10% difference in moderate-intensity leisure-time physical activity. For the index of sufficient activity there was a difference between 9 and 21% across age groups. Differences in rates of walking were less than 8%. For all age groups, males had higher rates of participation for vigorous and moderate-intensity activity than did females, bur females had much higher rates of participation in walking than males. Age-associated differences in activity levels were more apparent for males. Conclusions: Promoting walking and various forms of moderate-intensity physical activities to young adult males, and encouraging young adult females to adopt other forms of moderate-intensity activity to complement walking may help to ameliorate decreases in physical activity over the adult lifespan.

Physical activity, health-related quality of life and depression during pregnancy

This study examines physical activity patterns among women, from pre-pregnancy to the second trimester of pregnancy, and the relationship between physical activity status based on physical activity guidelines and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and depression over pregnancy. 56 healthy pregnant women self reported physical activity, HRQoL and depression at 10-15 and 19-24 weeks of pregnancy and physical activity before pregnancy. Whereas vigorous leisure physical activity decreased after conception, moderate leisure physical activity and work related physical activity remained stable over time. The prevalence of recommended physical activity was 39.3% and 12.5% in the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy respectively, and 14.3% pre-pregnancy. From the 1st to the 2nd pregnancy trimester, most physical HRQoL dimensions scores decreased and only mental component increased, independently of physical activity status. No changes in mean depression scores were observed. These data suggest that physical activity patterns change with pregnancy and that physical and mental components are differentially affected by pregnancy course, independently of physical activity status.

Relationship of physical activity with motor skills, aerobic fitness and body fat in preschool children: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study (Ballabeina).

Adiposity, low aerobic fitness and low levels of activity are all associated with clustered cardiovascular disease risk in children and their high prevalence represents a major public health concern. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of objectively measured physical activity (PA) with motor skills (agility and balance), aerobic fitness and %body fat in young children. This study is a cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses using mixed linear models. Longitudinal data were adjusted for baseline outcome parameters. In all, 217 healthy preschool children (age 4-6 years, 48% boys) participated in this study. PA (accelerometers), agility (obstacle course), dynamic balance (balance beam), aerobic fitness (20-m shuttle run) and %body fat (bioelectric impedance) at baseline and 9 months later. PA was positively associated with both motor skills and aerobic fitness at baseline as well as with their longitudinal changes. Specifically, only vigorous, but not total or moderate PA, was related to changes in aerobic fitness. Higher PA was associated with less %body fat at baseline, but not with its change. Conversely, baseline motor skills, aerobic fitness or %body fat were not related to changes in PA. In young children, baseline PA was associated with improvements in motor skills and in aerobic fitness, an important determinant of cardiovascular risk.

Validity of four short physical activity questionnaires in middle-aged persons.

PURPOSE: Self-administered questionnaires continue to be the most widely used type of physical activity assessment in epidemiological studies. However, test-retest reliability and validity of physical activity questionnaires have to be determined. In this study, three short physical activity questionnaires already used in Switzerland and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were validated. METHODS: Test-retest reliability was assessed by repeated administration of all questionnaires within 3 wk in 178 volunteers (77 women, 46.1+/-14.8 yr; 101 men 46.8+/-13.2 yr). Validity of categorical and continuous data was studied in a subsample of 35 persons in relation to 7-d accelerometer readings, percent body fat, and cardiorespiratory fitness. RESULTS: Reliability was fair to good with a Spearman correlation coefficient range of 0.43-0.68 for measures of continuous data and moderate to fair with Kappa values between 0.32 and 0.46 for dichotomous measures active/inactive. Total physical activity reported in the IPAQ and the Office in Motion Questionnaire (OIMQ) correlated with accelerometry readings (r=0.39 and 0.44, respectively). In contrast, correlations of self-reported physical data with percent body fat and cardiorespiratory fitness were low (r=-0.26-0.29). Participants categorized as active by the Swiss HEPA Survey 1999 instrument (HEPA99) accumulated significantly more days of the recommended physical activities than their inactive counterparts (4.4 and 2.7 d.wk, respectively, P<0.05). However, compared with accelerometer data, vigorous physical activities were overreported in investigated questionnaires. CONCLUSION: Collecting valid data on physical activity remains a challenging issue for questionnaire surveys. The IPAQ and the three other questionnaires are characterized to inform decisions about their appropriate use.

Participation in a population-based physical activity programme as an aid for smoking cessation: a randomised trial.

OBJECTIVES: Exercise combined with nicotine therapy may help smoking cessation and minimise weight gain after quitting. Low participation in vigorous-intensity physical activity programmes precludes their population-wide applicability. In a randomised controlled trial, we tested whether a population-based moderate-intensity physical activity programme increases quit rates among sedentary smokers receiving nicotine therapy. METHODS: Participants (n=481; 57% male; mean age, 42.2 years (SD 10.1); mean cigarette consumption, 27 (SD 10.2) per day) were offered a nine-week smoking cessation programme consisting of a weekly 15-minute counselling session and the prescription of nicotine replacement therapy. In addition, participants in the physical activity group (n=229) also took part in a programme of moderate-intensity physical activity implemented at the national level, and offering nine weekly 60-minute sessions of physical activity. To ensure equal contact conditions, participants in the control group (n=252) attended weekly 60-minute health behaviour education sessions unrelated to physical activity. The primary outcome was continuous CO-verified smoking abstinence rates at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Continuous smoking abstinence rates were high and similar in the physical activity group and the control group at the end of the intervention (47% versus 46%, p=0.81) and at 1-year follow-up (27% versus 29%, p=0.71). The mean weight gain after one year was 4.4 kg and 6.2 kg among sustained quitters of the physical activity and control groups, respectively (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: Participation in a population-based moderate-intensity physical activity programme for 9 weeks in addition to a comprehensive smoking cessation programme did not significantly increase smoking cessation rates. A non-significant reduction in weight gain was observed among participants who quit smoking in the physical activity group. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov; US National Institutes for Health (available online at http://clinicaltrials.gov/; CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT00521391).

Weight status and gender-related differences in motor skills and in child care - based physical activity in young children.

Over the last decades, a decline in motor skills and in physical activity and an increase in obesity has been observed in children. However, there is a lack of data in young children. We tested if differences in motor skills and in physical activity according to weight or gender were already present in 2- to 4-year-old children. Fifty-eight child care centers in the French part of Switzerland were randomly selected for the Youp'là bouge study. Motor skills were assessed by an obstacle course including 5 motor skills, derived from the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment test. Physical activity was measured with accelerometers (GT1M, Actigraph, Florida, USA) using age-adapted cut-offs. Weight status was assessed using the International Obesity Task Force criteria (healthy weight vs overweight) for body mass index (BMI). Of the 529 children (49% girls, 3.4 ± 0.6 years, BMI 16.2 ± 1.2 kg/m2), 13% were overweight. There were no significant weight status-related differences in the single skills of the obstacle course, but there was a trend (p = 0.059) for a lower performance of overweight children in the overall motor skills score. No significant weight status-related differences in child care-based physical activity were observed. No gender-related differences were found in the overall motor skills score, but boys performed better than girls in 2 of the 5 motor skills (p ≤ 0.04). Total physical activity as well as time spent in moderate-vigorous and in vigorous activity during child care were 12-25% higher and sedentary activity 5% lower in boys compared to girls (all p < 0.01). At this early age, there were no significant weight status- or gender-related differences in global motor skills. However, in accordance to data in older children, child care-based physical activity was higher in boys compared to girls. These results are important to consider when establishing physical activity recommendations or targeting health promotion interventions in young children.

Reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, low physical activity and an urban environment are independently associated with increased cardiovascular risk in children.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: To assist in the development of preventive strategies, we studied whether the neighbourhood environment or modifiable behavioural parameters, including cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and physical activity (PA), are independently associated with obesity and metabolic risk markers in children. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional analysis of 502 randomly selected first and fifth grade urban and rural Swiss schoolchildren with regard to CRF, PA and the neighbourhood (rural vs urban) environment. Outcome measures included BMI, sum of four skinfold thicknesses, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and a standardised clustered metabolic risk score. RESULTS: CRF and PA (especially total PA, but also the time spent engaged in light and in moderate and vigorous intensity PA) were inversely associated with measures of obesity, HOMA-IR and the metabolic risk score, independently of each other, and of sociodemographic and nutritional parameters, media use, sleep duration, BMI and the neighbourhood environment (all p < 0.05). Children living in a rural environment were more physically active and had higher CRF values and reduced HOMA-IR and metabolic risk scores compared with children living in an urban environment (all p < 0.05). These differences in cardiovascular risk factors persisted after adjustment for CRF, total PA and BMI. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Reduced CRF, low PA and an urban environment are independently associated with an increase in metabolic risk markers in children.

Comparisons of intensity-duration patterns of physical activity in the US, Jamaica and 3 African countries.

BACKGROUND: This difference in how populations living in low-, middle or upper-income countries accumulate daily PA, i.e. patterns and intensity, is an important part in addressing the global PA movement. We sought to characterize objective PA in 2,500 participants spanning the epidemiologic transition. The Modeling the Epidemiologic Transition Study (METS) is a longitudinal study, in 5 countries. METS seeks to define the association between physical activity (PA), obesity and CVD risk in populations of African origin: Ghana (GH), South Africa (SA), Seychelles (SEY), Jamaica (JA) and the US (suburban Chicago). METHODS: Baseline measurements of objective PA, SES, anthropometrics and body composition, were completed on 2,500 men and women, aged 25-45 years. Moderate and vigorous PA (MVPA, min/d) on week and weekend days was explored ecologically, by adiposity status and manual labor. RESULTS: Among the men, obesity prevalence reflected the level of economic transition and was lowest in GH (1.7%) and SA (4.8%) and highest in the US (41%). SA (55%) and US (65%) women had the highest levels of obesity, compared to only 16% in GH. More men and women in developing countries engaged in manual labor and this was reflected by an almost doubling of measured MPVA among the men in GH (45 min/d) and SA (47 min/d) compared to only 28 min/d in the US. Women in GH (25 min/d), SA (21 min/d), JA (20 min/d) and SEY (20 min/d) accumulated significantly more MPVA than women in the US (14 min/d), yet this difference was not reflected by differences in BMI between SA, JA, SEY and US. Moderate PA constituted the bulk of the PA, with no study populations except SA men accumulating > 5 min/d of vigorous PA. Among the women, no sites accumulated >2 min/d of vigorous PA. Overweight/obese men were 22% less likely to engage in manual occupations. CONCLUSION: While there is some association for PA with obesity, this relationship is inconsistent across the epidemiologic transition and suggests that PA policy recommendations should be tailored for each environment.

Objectively measured physical activity in European adults: cross-sectional findings from the Food4Me study

Background Comparisons of objectively measured physical activity (PA) between residents of European countries measured concurrently with the same protocol are lacking. We aimed to compare PA between the seven European countries involved in the Food4Me Study, using accelerometer data collected remotely via the Internet. Methods Of the 1607 participants recruited, 1287 (539 men and 748 women) provided at least 3 weekdays and 2 weekend days of valid accelerometer data (TracmorD) at baseline and were included in the present analyses. Results Men were significantly more active than women (physical activity level = 1.74 vs. 1.70, p < 0.001). Time spent in light PA and moderate PA differed significantly between countries but only for women. Adherence to the World Health Organization recommendation to accumulate at least 150 min of moderate-equivalent PA weekly was similar between countries for men (range: 54–65%) but differed significantly between countries for women (range: 26–49%). Prevalence estimates decreased substantially for men and women in all seven countries when PA guidelines were defined as achieving 30 min of moderate and vigorous PA per day. Conclusions We were able to obtain valid accelerometer data in real time via the Internet from 80% of participants. Although our estimates are higher compared with data from Sweden, Norway, Portugal and the US, there is room for improvement in PA for all countries involved in the Food4Me Study.

Life style habits such as alcohol consumption and physical activity in relation to serum apoB / apoA-I ratio amongst 64-year-old women with varying degrees of glucose tolerance.

OBJECTIVES To investigate how life style factors such as alcohol consumption and physical activity relate to the serum apoB / apoA-I ratio in a cohort of middle-aged women with varying degrees of glucose tolerance. DESIGN Observational, cross-sectional cohort study. SETTING Research laboratory at a University Hospital. SUBJECTS A screened cohort of 64-year-old postmenopausal women with varying degrees of glucose tolerance, ranging from diabetes (n = 232), impaired (n = 212) and normal (n = 191) glucose tolerance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE ApoB / apoA-I ratio in relation to alcohol consumption and physical activity as assessed by questionnaires. RESULTS Alcohol consumption and regular physical activity at high levels were inversely associated with the serum apoB / apoA-I ratio independently of confounding factors such as obesity, lipid-lowering treatment, degree of glucose tolerance and hormone replacement therapy. Alcohol seemed related to the apoB / apoA-I ratio mainly through increasing apoA-I, whereas physical activity seemed mainly related to lowering of apoB. Alcohol consumption above a daily intake of 8.9 g, i.e. less than a glass of wine was accompanied by a decrease in apoB / apoA-I ratio. CONCLUSIONS Amongst these 64-year-old women with varying degrees of glucose tolerance, a moderate alcohol intake and regular physical exercise leading to sweating were associated with lower apoB / apoA-I ratio and these effects seem to be additive.

Physical activity and liver diseases

Regular physical activity beneficially impacts the risk of onset and progression of several chronic diseases. However, research regarding the effects of exercising on chronic liver diseases is relatively recent. Most authors focused on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in which increasing clinical and experimental data indicate that skeletal muscle cross-talking to the adipose tissue and the liver regulates intrahepatic fat storage. In this setting physical activity is considered required in combination with calories restriction to allow an effective decrease of intrahepatic lipid component, and despite that evidence is not conclusive, some studies suggest that vigorous activity might be more beneficial than moderate activity to improve NAFLD/NASH. Evidence regarding the effects of exercise on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma is scarce; some epidemiological studies indicate a lower risk in patients regularly and vigorously exercising. In compensated cirrhosis exercise acutely increases portal pressure, but in longer term it has been proved safe and probably beneficial. Decreased aerobic capacity (VO2) correlates with mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, who are almost invariably sarcopenic. In these patients VO2 is improved by physical activity, which might also reduce the risk of hepatic encephalopathy through an increase in skeletal muscle mass. In solid organ transplantation recipients exercise is able to improve lean mass, muscle strength and as a consequence, aerobic capacity. Few data exist in liver transplant recipients, in whom exercise should be object of future studies given its high potential of providing long-term beneficial effects. Despite evidence is far from complete, physical activity should be seen as an important part of the management of patients with liver disease in order to improve their clinical outcome. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.