Association of Physical Activity Patterns with the Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Recent research has focused on a new group called the “weekend warriors”. These individuals accumulate their recommended moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) over just 1–2 days, often during weekends, while remaining relatively inactive during the rest of the week. However, the effects of engaging in low-frequency MVPA on the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) are not well understood. This study investigated the association between physical activity patterns and the risk of MetS among Korean adults. Methods: This study included 26,197 participants (11,804 male and 14,393 female) aged 20 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. MVPA was measured using a global physical activity questionnaire. MetS was defined as the presence of more than three risk factors. Results: The odds ratio (OR) for MetS was 0.60 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.52, 0.70) in the “regularly active” group and 0.82 (95% CI = 0.69, 0.98) in the “weekend warrior” group compared to that in the inactive group (reference), which controlled for all covariates. For sensitivity analyses, the results across all subgroups exhibited similar patterns, with more pronounced effects observed in women, middle-aged individuals, and non-drinkers/light drinkers. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that concentrated bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity, even if undertaken infrequently, confer health benefits that align with the recommended guidelines. This study contributes to the growing evidence on the relationship between physical activity patterns and MetS risk in Korean adults. The study also emphasizes the potential of different activity patterns in mitigating metabolic risk.