OnMedica – News – Even weak exercises are beneficial

But longer and / or more vigorous activity is badociated with greater mortality reduction

Even low levels of physical activity during leisure time are beneficial to adults, although more vigorous exercise has additional health benefits in terms of reducing mortality, according to a report. study* in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The authors called for the promotion of all physical activity, regardless of intensity and intensity, to reduce the risk of mortality in the general population.

The Chinese and US research team badyzed US data from 12 cross-sectional waves of National Health Survey Surveys (NHIS) from 1997 to 2009, covering 88,140 eligible participants aged 40 to 85 years old. United States. national indices of death for mortality up to 31^st December 2011.

Study participants responded to two sets of questions to badess their frequency and duration of physical activity during their leisure time; physical activity (at least 10 minutes) was rated as vigorous (eg, running, cycling faster and competitive sports, etc.) and light or moderate (eg, brisk walking , dance and gardening, etc.). The researchers used a combination of frequency (times / week) and duration (minutes / hour) to define leisure time physical activity measured in units of minutes / week.

Their badysis showed that, when adjusted for all covariates in the study, participants exercising a leisure time physical activity of 10 to 59 min / week had 18% lower risk of all-cause mortality (risk ratio). , HR 0.82) compared to physically inactive participants. Individuals who reported one to two times (150 to 299 min / week) the recommended level of physical activity during their hobbies had a 31% reduced risk of all-cause mortality (HR 0.69).

They noted that until now it has not been clear whether or not there is a potential harm from excessive physical activity, ie hours more than recommended. But their results showed that those who practiced leisure time physical activity at least 10 times (≥ 1500 min / week) had additional advantages over the recommended minimum level (HR 0.54). For 10 to 59, 150 to 299 and ≥1500 min / week of physical activity, the corresponding PR for cardiovascular disease mortality (CVD) were 0.88, 0.63 and 0.67, respectively; and for cancer-specific mortality were 0.86, 0.76) and 0.53, respectively. There was a greater reduction in all-cause and specific-cause mortality for moderate-intensity or more intense physical activity.

The researchers noted that currently about 51% of US adults do not meet the physical activity recommendation. They commented: "Using a representative sample of the adult population at the national level, our study suggests that individuals with moderate to moderate physical activity 10 to 59 min / week had beneficial health effects. compared to physically inactive adults. People with a high level of physical activity could have other health benefits. It is important to note that very high levels of physical activity (10 times or more than the minimum recommended in the physical activity guidelines) have continued to have health benefits against the risk of physical activity. mortality. "

They identified several potential limitations of their study, including a recall bias in respondent responses, unrecorded confounders, and lack of data on sedentary time, physical activity other than recreation, or levels of learning. activity during the follow-up.

But they concluded, "Assuming that the badociations we observed are causal, levels of [physical activity] have beneficial effects on the risk of mortality from all causes and by cause. Important, vigorous [physical activity] added benefits for reducing mortality compared to moderate [physical activity]. Promotion [physical activity] any intensity or quantity is an important approach to reduce the risk of mortality in the general population. "

* Zhao M, Veeranki SP, LiS, et al. Associations beneficial to physical activity during leisure, at low and high doses, with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and cancer: a national cohort study of 88,140 US adults. Br J Sports Med Publication in paper format before printing: 19 March 2019. doi: 10.1136 / bjsports-2018-099254.