Targeting body composition in an older population: do changes in movement behaviours matter? Longitudinal analyses in the PREDIMED-Plus trial

Abstract

Background The optimal distribution between physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behaviour (SB) for the greatest benefits for body composition among older adults with overweight/obesity and chronic health conditions remains unclear. We aimed to determine the prospective association between changes in PA and in SB with concurrent changes in body composition and to examine whether reallocating inactive time into different physical activity levels was associated with 12-month change to body composition in older adults. Methods Longitudinal assessment nested in the PREDIMED-Plus trial. A subsample (n = 1564) of men and women (age 55–75 years) with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome from both arms of the PREDIMED-Plus trial was included in the present analysis. Participants were followed up at 6 and 12 months. Physical activity and SB were assessed using validated questionnaires. Out of 1564 participants, 388 wore an accelerometer to objectively measure inactive time and PA over a 7-day period. At each time point, participants’ body composition was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Standard covariate-adjusted and isotemporal substitution modelling were applied to linear mixed-effects models. Results Increasing 30 min of total PA and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was associated with significant reductions in body fat (β − 0.07% and − 0.08%) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) (− 13.9 g, and − 15.6 g) at 12 months (all p values < 0.001). Reallocating 30 min of inactive time to MVPA was associated with reductions in body fat and VAT and with an increase in muscle mass and muscle-to-fat mass ratio (all p values < 0.001). Conclusions At 12 months, increasing total PA and MVPA and reducing total SB and TV-viewing SB were associated with improved body composition in participants with overweight or obesity, and metabolic syndrome. This was also observed when substituting 30 min of inactive time with total PA, LPA and MVPA, with the greatest benefits observed with MVPA. Trial registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial (ISRCTN), 89898870. Retrospectively registered on 24 July 2014

Association of sedentary behaviour and physical activity with cardiometabolic health in Japanese adults

“…Previous studies using the isotemporal substitution model to examine the effect of reallocating sedentary time to other physical activity on health outcomes have primarily focused on Westerners 25 . However, previous findings regarding cardiometabolic health, especially its relationship with LPA, have been inconsistent due to differences among study participants 18 – 23 . Therefore, there is a need for studies on target populations to facilitate more specific public health recommendations for preventing cardiometabolic diseases.…”

“…Recent epidemiological studies have used the isotemporal substitution model to explore the theoretical influence of reallocating sedentary time to physical activity. This model is among the methods that consider interdependency and has often been used in recent studies on physical activity that have examined various health outcomes, including all-cause mortality 13 – 15 , depression 16 , 17 , and cardiometabolic health 18 – 23 . This approach has facilitated the increasing evidence regarding the benefits of both LPA and MVPA.…”

Adipokines Level and Cognitive Function—Disturbance in Homeostasis in Older People with Poorly Managed Hypertension: A Pilot Study

“…In terms of the approach taken in communication with patients via public health platforms, information on the pleiotropic health benefits of some non-pharmacological therapies addressing factors from the network variables explored in this study should be underlined. Interventions focused on changes in the physical activity level [ 53 ] and diet with caloric deficit [ 54 ] might lead to reverse of age-related negative changes in body composition. In addition, a physical exercise program might improve cognitive function in older people [ 55 ], and lead to a reduction in depression severity [ 17 ].…”

Occupational and Leisure Physical Activity on Cardiovascular Risk and Body Composition Among Courier Workers

“…However, this is not always the case, as it is argued that sedentarism is a risk factor for CVD independently of performed LTPA (Katzmarzyk et al, 2009). Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), more than total body fat, is another known risk factor for CVD and all-cause mortality (Després, 2012; Kuk et al, 2006), and is strongly influenced by sedentary habits and physical inactivity (Galmes-Panades et al, 2021). While regular practice of moderate-to-vigorous LTPA has been shown to significantly reduce total and visceral fat and increase muscle mass (Galmes-Panades et al, 2021), very little evidence exists on the effect of OPA at different intensities.…”

“…Visceral adipose tissue (VAT), more than total body fat, is another known risk factor for CVD and all-cause mortality (Després, 2012; Kuk et al, 2006), and is strongly influenced by sedentary habits and physical inactivity (Galmes-Panades et al, 2021). While regular practice of moderate-to-vigorous LTPA has been shown to significantly reduce total and visceral fat and increase muscle mass (Galmes-Panades et al, 2021), very little evidence exists on the effect of OPA at different intensities. Studies mainly focus on waist circumference or body mass index (BMI), and it seems that more intensive OPA is associated with a lower waist circumference (Steeves et al, 2012) and a lower BMI (Yuan et al, 2021), even in subjects who perform little or no LTPA (Steeves et al, 2012); however, it is unknown if this translates into improved cardiometabolic health.…”