Exercise and postprandial lipemia: Effect of continuous compared with intermittent activity patterns

Background: Guidelines state that accumulated physical activity is beneficial for health, but a minimum duration of 10 min per activity bout is recommended. Limited information regarding the effects of short (<10 min) bouts of activity on health is available, and no studies of the effects of such short bouts of activity on postprandial lipemia have been conducted. Objective: The objective was to compare the effects of accumulating ten 3-min bouts of exercise with those of one 30-min bout of exercise on postprandial plasma triacylglycerol concentrations. Design: Ten men aged 21-32 y completed three 2-d trials ≥1 wk apart in a randomized repeated-measures design. On day 1, the subjects rested (no exercise) or ran at 70% of maximum oxygen uptake in either ten 3-min bouts (30 min rest between each) or one continuous 30-min bout. On day 2, the subjects rested and consumed test meals (0.69 g fat, 0.95 g carbohydrate, 0.31 g protein, and 46 kJ/kg body mass) for breakfast and lunch. Venous blood samples were obtained in the fasted state and for 7 h postprandially on day 2. Results: Postprandial plasma triacylglycerol concentrations were lower throughout day 2 of both the accumulation exercise trial and the continuous exercise trial than during the control trial (main effect of trial: P < 0.001, 2-factor analysis of variance). Conclusions: Accumulating multiple short bouts of exercise throughout the day effectively reduce postprandial plasma triacylglycerol concentrations to an extent similar to that of a single 30-min session of exercise in healthy young men.