Can exercise counteract the effects of overfeeding and under-activity?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Can different forms of daily exercise counteract the effects of short-term (one week) overfeeding and reduced physical activity on metabolic function in heathy young men?
IRAS ID
157628
Contact name
Jean-Philippe Walhin
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Western lifestyles are characterised by low levels of physical activity and excessive caloric intake resulting in weight gain in the long term. This energy imbalance leads to obesity which is linked with increased risks of developing chronic diseases. Previous work conducted by our group (Walhin et al., 2013; REC reference 07/H0101/234) demonstrated that a daily bout of vigorous-intensity running protected against the impact of positive energy balance even whilst participants were gaining weight. Using this model, we successfully investigated some of the mechanisms by which exercise helps maintain health. Wheelchair users are at increased risk of developing chronic diseases, probably linked to reduced physical activity levels. Arm crank ergometry is a form of upper body exercise which is achievable for this population. For many people, moderate-intensity exercise is a more achievable form of exercise than vigorous-intensity exercise. It is unknown whether physical activity breaks throughout the day are just as important as a single bout of exercise in maintaining health. The proposed study aims to assess whether 1) a form of upper body exercise 2) a bout of walking or 3) several small bouts of walking throughout the day all have the same capacity as running to maintain health in participants. This will tell us whether different forms of exercise which are relevant for many different people will generate similar benefits.
We plan to recruit 48 young (18-40 years), healthy, weight stable, active males from the local population. Participants will visit the laboratory at the University of Bath on 2 occasions; pre-post a 7-day period. Participants will be randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups: 1) <4000 steps a day and 50% overfeed 2) 45 min of daily upper body exercise and ~70% overfeed 3) daily moderate-intensity treadmill walking and ~60% overfeed 4) several small bouts of daily walking and ~60% overfeed
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0014
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion