Clinical trial NCT06700187: Frequency of Interrupting Sitting and Cognitive Function
Official title: Effects of Sitting Interruption Frequency on Cognitive Function and Glucose Metabolism: a Randomized, Controlled Cross-over Study Involving Young Sedentary Adults
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Sedentary Behaviors
Breaking Prolonged Sitting with Physical Activity
Keywords: Sedentary behavior
sitting interruptions
cognition
glucose metabolism
Lead sponsor: Maastricht University Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-11-21
Enrollment: 33
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 35
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: 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.


Eligibility criteria: 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.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Mental flexibility
timeFrame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Interference
timeFrame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
measure: Memory
timeFrame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
measure: Attention
timeFrame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
measure: Glucose metabolism
timeFrame: baseline, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, 4 hour, and 5 hour post baseline
measure: Glucose metabolism
timeFrame: baseline, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, 4 hour, and 5 hour post baseline
measure: Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
timeFrame: baseline, 2 hour, 3 hour, and 5 hour post baseline
measure: Blood lipids
timeFrame: baseline, and 5 hours post baseline
measure: Serum triacylglycerol (TAG)
timeFrame: baseline, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, 4 hour, and 5 hour post baseline
measure: Mood
timeFrame: baseline and 5 hours post baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Maastricht
country: Netherlands
facility: Nutrition and movement science
Study officials:
References:
citation: Wheeler MJ, Green DJ, Cerin E, Ellis KA, Heinonen I, Lewis J, Naylor LH, Cohen N, Larsen R, Dempsey PC, Kingwell BA, Owen N, Dunstan DW. Combined effects of continuous exercise and intermittent active interruptions to prolonged sitting on postprandial glucose, insulin, and triglycerides in adults with obesity: a randomized crossover trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2020 Dec 14;17(1):152. doi: 10.1186/s12966-020-01057-9.
citation: Homer AR, Taylor FC, Dempsey PC, Wheeler MJ, Sethi P, Townsend MK, Grace MS, Green DJ, Cohen ND, Larsen RN, Kingwell BA, Owen N, Dunstan DW. Frequency of Interruptions to Sitting Time: Benefits for Postprandial Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2021 Jun;44(6):1254-1263. doi: 10.2337/dc20-1410. Epub 2021 Apr 26.
citation: Duran AT, Friel CP, Serafini MA, Ensari I, Cheung YK, Diaz KM. Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting to Improve Cardiometabolic Risk: Dose-Response Analysis of a Randomized Crossover Trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2023 May 1;55(5):847-855. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003109. Epub 2023 Jan 12.
citation: Wheeler MJ, Green DJ, Ellis KA, Cerin E, Heinonen I, Naylor LH, Larsen R, Wennberg P, Boraxbekk CJ, Lewis J, Eikelis N, Lautenschlager NT, Kingwell BA, Lambert G, Owen N, Dunstan DW. Distinct effects of acute exercise and breaks in sitting on working memory and executive function in older adults: a three-arm, randomised cross-over trial to evaluate the effects of exercise with and without breaks in sitting on cognition. Br J Sports Med. 2020 Jul;54(13):776-781. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2018-100168. Epub 2019 Apr 29.
citation: Wu Y, Van Gerven PWM, de Groot RHM, Eijnde BO, Winkens B, Savelberg HHCM. Effects of breaking up sitting with light-intensity physical activity on cognition and mood in university students. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2023 Mar;33(3):257-266. doi: 10.1111/sms.14277. Epub 2022 Dec 1.