Exercise Training Amount and Intensity Effects on Metabolic Syndrome (From Studies of a Targeted Risk Reduction Intervention through Defined Exercise)

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Lori B. Aiken (Creator)

Brian D. Duscha (Creator)

Joseph A. Houmard (Creator)

Johanna L. Johnson (Creator)

Williams E. Kraus (Creator)

Jennifer S. McCartney (Creator)

Gregory P. Samsa (Creator)

Cris A. Slentz (Creator)

Charles J. Tanner (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Although exercise improves individual risk factors of the metabolic syndrome (MS) there is little research on the effect of exercise on MS as a whole. The objective of this study was to determine how much exercise is recommended to reduce the prevalence of MS. Of 334 subjects randomized 227 finished and 171 (80 women 91 men) had complete data for all 5 Adult Treatment Panel III- defined MS risk factors and were included in this analysis. Subjects were randomly assigned to a six-month control or 1 of 3 eight-month exercise training groups: 1) low-amount/moderate-intensity (equivalent to walking ~19 km/week); 2) low-amount/vigorous-intensity (equivalent to jogging ~19 km/week); 3) high-amount/vigorous-intensity (equivalent to jogging ~32 km/week). The low- amount/moderate-intensity exercise prescription improved MS relative to inactive controls (p<0.05). However the same amount of exercise at a vigorous intensity was not significantly better than inactive controls suggesting that lower intensity exercise may be more effective in improving MS. The high-amount/vigorous-intensity group improved MS relative to controls (p<0.0001) the low- amount/vigorous-intensity group (p=0.001) and the moderate intensity group (p=0.07) suggesting an exercise dose effect. In conclusion a modest amount of moderate intensity exercise in the absence of dietary changes significantly improved MS and thus supports the recommendation that adults get 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every day. A higher amount of vigorous exercise was shown to have greater and more widespread benefits. Finally there is an indication that moderate intensity may be better than vigorous intensity exercise for improving MS. Originally published American Journal of Cardiology Vol. 100 No. 12 Dec 2007

Additional Information

Publication

Other

American Journal of Cardiology. 100:12(December 2007) p. 1759-1766.

Language: English

Date: 2011

Keywords

Exercise training, dose effects, Insulin sensitivity, central adiposity

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