This study aims to investigate the effect of interrupting a three hour bout of prolonged sitting with high intensity interval exercise on lower limb blood vessel function in adolescents before and after a mixed meal challenge.
Participants will be required to visit the laboratory on three separate occasions. The first of which will be a preliminary visit to collect anthropometric data (e.g. stature and body weight) and participants will complete a combined ramp-incremental and supra-maximal test to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer to determine the work rate for the exercise in the subsequent experimental visits. For the two experimental visits, participants will arrive to the laboratory after an overnight fast and an activPAL accelerometer will be attached to the midline of the participants' thigh for the duration of the visit to quantity sitting time. Lower limb macro and micro-vascular function will be assessed using a single protocol through flow mediated dilation of the popliteal artery and post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia in the capillaries of the calf. Participants will then either sit for three hours or have this three hour sitting period interrupted with high intensity interval cycling exercise at 30, 90 and 150 minutes. Vascular function will then be reassessed before participants will be given a mixed meal challenge (58.4 g fat and 53.4 g sugar) with a three hour postprandial period where the participants will remain seated for the duration. At the end of the postprandial period, vascular function will be reassessed. Blood pressure, heart rate and calf circumference will be assessed hourly throughout the experimental day. In addition, capillary blood samples will be collected at baseline, pre meal and each hour during the postprandial period and assessed for changes in plasma glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol and insulin concentrations. Participants will be transported to the toilet by wheelchair to limit the amount of walking undertaken during the sitting period and this activity will be quantified by the activPAL accelerometers.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
6
Breaking up a prolonged bout of sitting in adolescents using high intensity interval exercise
Participants will be asked to remain seated for 3 hours and refrain from moving their lower limbs
University of Exeter
Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Popliteal macrovascular function
Flow mediated dilation will be used to assess changes in microvascular function of the popliteal artery
Time frame: Before and after 3 hours of prolonged vs. interrupted sitting and after a subsequent 3 hour postprandial period
Microvascular function in the capillaries of the calf
Microvascular function will be assessed using post occlusive reactive hyperaemia via laser Doppler flowmetry
Time frame: Before and after 3 hours of prolonged vs. interrupted sitting and after a subsequent 3 hour postprandial period
Changes in plasma triglyceride concentration from a capillary sample
Changes in plasma triglyceride concentration will be assessed in response to the prolonged or interrupted sitting and after mixed meal
Time frame: 6.5 hours
Changes in plasma insulin concentration from a capillary sample
Changes in plasma insulin concentration will be assessed in response to the prolonged or interrupted sitting and after mixed meal
Time frame: 6.5 hours
Changes in plasma glucose concentration from a capillary sample
Changes in plasma glucose concentration will be assessed in response to the prolonged or interrupted sitting and after mixed meal
Time frame: 6.5 hours
Blood pressure
Changes in blood pressure will be monitored hourly throughout the 3 hour sitting period and three hour postprandial period
Time frame: 6.5 hours
Heart rate
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Changes in heart rate will be monitored hourly throughout the 3 hour sitting period and three hour postprandial period
Time frame: 6.5 hours
Calf circumference
Calf circumference will be monitored every hour throughout experimental visit to give an indication of venous pooling that may occur as a result of the prolonged sitting and be implicated in the potential decline in vascular function
Time frame: 6.5 hours
Physical activity prior to the experimental visits
Participants will wear GENEactiv accelerometers to monitor their physical activity levels before the experimental visit
Time frame: 48 hours prior to each visit
Sitting time during the experimental visits
Participants will wear an activPAL accelerometer on their thigh to quantify the amount of time they spend sitting, standing and cycling during the trials
Time frame: 6 hours