Cited by 1,655Physical Activity and HealthDiabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and LipoproteinsAdipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases

Role of Low Energy Expenditure and Sitting in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease

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Hamilton, Marc T., Hamilton, Deborah G., Zderic, Theodore W.·2007·Diabetes

Abstract

It is not uncommon for people to spend one-half of their waking day sitting, with relatively idle muscles. The other half of the day includes the often large volume of nonexercise physical activity. Given the increasing pace of technological change in domestic, community, and workplace environments, modern humans may still not have reached the historical pinnacle of physical inactivity, even in cohorts where people already do not perform exercise. Our purpose here is to examine the role of sedentary behaviors, especially sitting, on mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome risk factors, and obesity. Recent observational epidemiological studies strongly suggest that daily sitting time or low nonexercise activity levels may have a significant direct relationship with each of these medical concerns. There is now a need for studies to differentiate between the potentially unique molecular, physiologic, and clinical effects of too much sitting (inactivity physiology) separate from the responses caused by structured exercise (exercise physiology). In theory, this may be in part because nonexercise activity thermogenesis is generally a much greater component of total energy expenditure than exercise or because any type of brief, yet frequent, muscular contraction throughout the day may be necessary to short-circuit unhealthy molecular signals causing metabolic diseases. One of the first series of controlled laboratory studies providing translational evidence for a molecular reason to maintain high levels of daily low-intensity and intermittent activity came from examinations of the cellular regulation of skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (a protein important for controlling plasma triglyceride catabolism, HDL cholesterol, and other metabolic risk factors). Experimentally reducing normal spontaneous standing and ambulatory time had a much greater effect on LPL regulation than adding vigorous exercise training on top of the normal level of nonexercise activity. Those studies also found that inactivity initiated unique cellular processes that were qualitatively different from the exercise responses. In summary, there is an emergence of inactivity physiology studies. These are beginning to raise a new concern with potentially major clinical and public health significance: the average nonexercising person may become even more metabolically unfit in the coming years if they sit too much, thereby limiting the normally high volume of intermittent nonexercise physical activity in everyday life. Thus, if the inactivity physiology paradigm is proven to be true, the dire concern for the future may rest with growing numbers of people unaware of the potential insidious dangers of sitting too much and who are not taking advantage of the benefits of maintaining nonexercise activity throughout much of the day.

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  • In Western cultures, the most common acquired causes of insulin resistance are obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and aging, and these factors are interrelated.

    “In Western cultures, the most common acquired factors causing insulin resistance are obe-sity, sedentary lifestyle, and aging, all of which are interrelated (2,3,8).”
  • The physiological effects of sedentary and non-exercise light activities that adults do most of the day are not well understood.

    “the potential physiological effects of the types of activities that most adults engage in during the vast majority of their day, namely sedentary (sitting) and non-exercise light activities (standing, walking), are not well understood.(Hamilton, Hamilton, and Zderic 2007)”

    From Successful aging: Advancing the science of physical independence in older adults (2015) · cites this paper as Hamilton, Hamilton, and Zderic 2007

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [12]12. Mcardle WD, Katch FI, Katch VL: Exercise Physiology. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006
  2. [13]13. Powers SK, Howley ET: Exercise Physiology Theory Application to Fitness and Performance. New York, McGraw-Hill, 2004

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Authors
Hamilton, M. T., Hamilton, D. G., & Zderic, T. W.
Affiliations
University of Missouri (US)
Venue
Diabetes
Published
2007-11-01
Volume
56
Issue
11
Pages
2655-2667
ISSN
  • 0012-1797 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-327X
OpenAlex
W2162523749
Cited by
1,655
References
98
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 52 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 76 · 2020: 83 · 2019: 82 · 2018: 121 · 2017: 103 · 2016: 111 · 2015: 133 · 2014: 153 · 2013: 127 · 2012: 121
FWCI
6.16
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Diabetes (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL-70482, HL-52490, P01HL052490, F32HL070482)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Adipokines, Inflammation, and Metabolic Diseases
Keywords
sedentary behavior, sitting time, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mortality, lipoprotein lipase, skeletal muscle, exercise physiology, intermittent exercise
MeSH terms
Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Energy Metabolism, Female, Humans, Life Style, Male, Middle Aged, Motor Activity, Posture, Public Health, Exercise, Metabolic Syndrome

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