Acute metabolic responses to breaking up sedentary time in older adults.
Physiol BehavApr 30, 2026 (epub)
René Maréchal, Philippe St-Martin, Catherine Desjardins et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial examined the effects of interrupting sedentary time with light activity on metabolic flexibility in 12 sedentary older adults. The study found that breaks every 30 minutes significantly improved the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) compared to no breaks, with RER values at T4 being 0.86 for Break30 versus 0.83 for noBreak (p = 0.035).
Key findings
- Break30 showed a greater variance in RER compared to noBreak.
- At T4, RER was 0.86 for Break30 versus 0.83 for noBreak (p = 0.035).
- At T7, RER was 0.90 for Break30 versus 0.87 for noBreak (p = 0.002).
- Non-esterified fatty acid concentrations at T5 were higher in Break30 (0.393 mmol/L) compared to noBreak (0.251 mmol/L; p = 0.041).
Why it matters
Understanding how breaking up sedentary time can enhance metabolic flexibility is crucial for developing interventions aimed at improving metabolic health in older adults, a population at high risk for metabolic disorders.