It is known to all that lack of exercise can increase the risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. However, a new study has found that the risk of these diseases could increase with as little as 2 weeks of inactivity.
Lack of regular physical activity is a key factor in obesity. And this, in turn, can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, and even some types of cancer. In addition, too little exercise can also hamper bone and muscle health.
The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Liverpool (United Kingdom), involved 28 young and healthy adults with a mean age of 25 years. The volunteers had a mean body mass index (BMI) of 25, and they were all physically active, logging an average of 10,000 steps each day.
Going from physically active to sedentary
The experts wanted to find out if 2 weeks of physical inactivity affected the body. To do this, for 14 days, the participants were forced to reduce their daily steps by 80%, that is, to around 1,500 daily steps . All of them underwent extensive health exams before and after the study, and used activity logs throughout.
The step reduction protocol led to a reduction of 161 minutes in average daily physical activity to just 26 minutes and an increase in sedentary lifestyle of 129 minutes a day.
The researchers found that switching from moderate or vigorous activity to almost sedentary behavior for just 14 days led to metabolic changes that could increase the risk of chronic diseases and even premature death of the participants.
In addition, reducing physical activity for 14 days led to a loss of muscle mass in the participants: total brown fat was reduced by an average of 0.36 kilograms. And also to an increase in total body fat.
“In a group of healthy, physically active young individuals who met recommended physical activity guidelines, just 14 days of increased sedentary behavior resulted in small but significant reductions in fitness that were accompanied by reductions in muscle mass and increased of body fat. Such changes can lead to chronic metabolic diseases and premature mortality. The results emphasize the importance of remaining physically active , and highlight the dangerous consequences of continued sedentary behavior, says Dan Cuthbertson, leader of the work.
The study has been presented at the 2017 European Congress on Obesity held in Portugal.
