continuous bout of equivalent duration, at reducing post-prandial lipaemia. There was little evidence on accumulation of bouts of <10 minutes.9 However, for health outcomes such as fitness, adiposity and psychological well-being, there was insufficient evidence to determine whether 'accumulation ' of short bouts was as effective as continuous activity. Frequency of Bouts or Sessions The optimal frequency of activity, in terms of the number of days per week that involve a session or bout of activity, has also not been extensively investigated. Few studies have demonstrated the benefits of activity carried out <3 times per week, but papers that have investigated the 'weekend warrior' concept (all activity on one day each week) indicate that there are benefits from weekly activity (for example playing golf).10,11 However, given that there are acute, as well as chronic metabolic benefits of physical activity, current consensus is that daily activity should be encouraged.12 Intensity For the purposes of reporting results from cohort studies, it is generally accepted that vigorous activity expends energy at the rate of moderate intensity activity; hence most researchers 'weight' time spent in vigorous activity by two when reporting activity time in minutes as the exposure variable. These studies rarely differentiate between the benefits of moderate and vigorous activity, and cannot distinguish their relative benefits. Is there greater benefit from vigorous activity? There is some evidence to indicate that for coronary heart disease and its risk factors, there may be greater risk reductions from vigorous activity. Nine epidemiological studies have now shown a lower risk of heart disease (or risk factor profile) for people who do vigorous activity, after adjusting for total volume of activity. However, only out of 20 clinical trials have confirmed that vigorous intensity activity confers greater improvement in maximal oxygen uptake than the same volume of moderate intensity activity.6 While vigorous exercise is important for improving many forms of athletic performance, it remains unclear whether doing vigorous activity adds to the substantial benefits that
continuous bout of equivalent duration, at reducing post-prandial lipaemia. There was little evidence on accumulation of bouts of <10 minutes.9 However, for health outcomes such as fitness, adiposity and psychological well-being, there was insufficient evidence to determine whether 'accumulation ' of short bouts was as effective as continuous activity. Frequency of Bouts or Sessions The optimal frequency of activity, in terms of the number of days per week that involve a session or bout of activity, has also not been extensively investigated. Few studies have demonstrated the benefits of activity carried out <3 times per week, but papers that have investigated the 'weekend warrior' concept (all activity on one day each week) indicate that there are benefits from weekly activity (for example playing golf).10,11 However, given that there are acute, as well as chronic metabolic benefits of physical activity, current consensus is that daily activity should be encouraged.12 Intensity For the purposes of reporting results from cohort studies, it is generally accepted that vigorous activity expends energy at the rate of moderate intensity activity; hence most researchers 'weight' time spent in vigorous activity by two when reporting activity time in minutes as the exposure variable. These studies rarely differentiate between the benefits of moderate and vigorous activity, and cannot distinguish their relative benefits. Is there greater benefit from vigorous activity? There is some evidence to indicate that for coronary heart disease and its risk factors, there may be greater risk reductions from vigorous activity. Nine epidemiological studies have now shown a lower risk of heart disease (or risk factor profile) for people who do vigorous activity, after adjusting for total volume of activity. However, only out of 20 clinical trials have confirmed that vigorous intensity activity confers greater improvement in maximal oxygen uptake than the same volume of moderate intensity activity.6 While vigorous exercise is important for improving many forms of athletic performance, it remains unclear whether doing vigorous activity adds to the substantial benefits that
DEBPA%20Adults.DOCX