The effect of exercise on non‐exercise physical activity and sedentary behavior in adults

Abstract

Summary It is widely assumed that structured exercise causes an additive increase in physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). However, the common observation that exercise often leads to a less than expected decrease in body weight, without changes in energy intake, suggests that some compensatory behavioral adaptations occur. A small number of human studies have shown that adoption of structured exercise can lead to decreases in PAEE, which is often interpreted as a decrease in physical activity (PA) behavior. An even smaller number of studies have objectively measured PA, and with inconsistent results. In animals, high levels of imposed PA induces compensatory changes in some components of TDEE. Recent human cohort studies also provide evidence that in those at the highest levels of physical activity, TDEE is similar when compared to less physically active groups. The objective of this review is to summarize the effects of structured exercise training on PA, sedentary behavior, PAEE, and TDEE. Using models from ecological studies in animals and observational data in humans, an alternative model of TDEE in humans is proposed. This model may serve as a framework to investigate the complex and dynamic regulation of human energy budgets.

Spontaneous Physical Activity Defends Against Obesity

“…While this seems to be an oversimplification, free-living SPA is often indicated by walking and the intensity of walking or the imposition of a structured walking program is often used to address whether structured exercise or the intensity of exercise leads to a compensatory reduction in SPA and its associated energy expenditure (non-exercise activity thermogenesis, NEAT). This literature has already been extensively reviewed [34–36]. Briefly, Washburn and colleagues performed a systematic review of the literature to access the influence of exercise on SPA and energy expenditure [35].…”

“…The authors’ highlighted that the heterogeneity across studies, which when combined with other factors that influence SPA (e.g. age, gender, body mass and training status) [34–36], underscores the unique opportunity to resolve whether imposed exercise causes a compensatory change in SPA or the associated NEAT.…”

“…Although it is unclear how much exercise modifies SPA, total energy expenditure, and its components, several models have been proposed to explain the relationship between SPA and energy expenditure as they relate to weight gain [37–39, 34] and recently reviewed by [34]. Based on the definition of energy balance, whereby weight maintenance persists when energy intake equals energy expenditure, one would expect that increasing SPA would in turn increase overall energy expenditure [38] and mitigate weight gain if daily calorie intake remained constant.…”

“…The ‘ActivityStat’ hypothesis [37, 41] and several models have been proposed (e.g. allocation, independent/additive, performance, constrained energy expenditure) [38, 39] including an alternative model which proposes that exercise modifies an additional and unidentified component of total EE alone or in parallel to the EE due to SPA, the thermic effect of food or resting metabolism [34]. The efficiency of performing SPA may not be constant and thus an increase in SPA may not translate into the expected increase in NEAT.…”

Effect of a Behavioral Intervention Strategy for Adoption and Maintenance of a Physically Active Lifestyle: The Italian Diabetes and Exercise Study 2 (IDES_2)

“…In fact, behavioral strategies targeting an increase in MVPA may not be adequate to reduce SED-time because achieving the recommended amount of 30 min of daily MVPA (which represents ,5% of the time spent awake) does not significantly affect SED-time and might even trigger compensatory sedentary behavior (17). Conversely, a reduction of SED-time may result from increases in unstructured PA, mainly LPA, which includes several routine domestic or occupational tasks and represents the main determinant of variability in the total daily energy expenditure (18).…”