Dissertation
Effectiveness and acceptability of resistance exercise breaks as a strategy to augment vascular insulin sensitivity during prolonged sitting in sedentary workers
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Spring 2023
DOI: 10.25820/etd.007159
Abstract
Sedentary behavior time has increased significantly over the last few decades due to increased sitting in the workplace, social settings, and during transportation. As 80% of Americans work in primarily sedentary jobs, where many sit for ~7 h per day, the workplace serves as a prime environment to implement strategies to reduce sedentarism. It is highly likely that sedentary behavior promotes cardiometabolic disease (CMD) risk via detrimental impacts to nitric oxide (NO)-mediated endothelial function. Notably, after just 3 h of uninterrupted sitting, blood flow and laminar shear stress in conduit arteries is decreased, which promotes a proatherogenic hemodynamic environment, leaving the vasculature susceptible to atherosclerotic disease development. Evidence also demonstrates that laminar shear stress is important for sensitizing the endothelium to the vasodilatory effects of insulin. Thus, prolonged exposure to sedentary behavior likely promotes decrements in vascular insulin sensitivity (VIS). Importantly, resistance exercise breaks (REB), performed to break up prolonged sedentary bouts, can successfully attenuate sitting-induced impairments in popliteal and femoral artery FMD during sedentary periods lasting 3–5 h. However, the effects of REB performed during an otherwise sedentary period on VIS have not yet been explored. Therefore, the first aim of this dissertation was to examine if performing 3-min REB during a 3-h sedentary period could augment VIS in the face of prolonged sitting. The second aim of this dissertation was to assess the acceptability of these REB and to understand how they impact productivity, discomfort, and sleepiness.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effectiveness and acceptability of resistance exercise breaks as a strategy to augment vascular insulin sensitivity during prolonged sitting in sedentary workers
- Creators
- Emily M. Rogers
- Contributors
- Nathaniel Jenkins (Advisor)Bethany Barone Gibbs (Committee Member)Lucas Carr (Committee Member)Gary Pierce (Committee Member)Anna Stanhewicz (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Health and Human Physiology
- Date degree season
- Spring 2023
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.007159
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- viii, 102 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2023 Emily M. Rogers
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 04/25/2023
- Date approved
- 05/02/2023
- Description illustrations
- Illustrations, tables, graphs, charts
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 83-98).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
In a healthy state, blood vessels should dilate in response to insulin, demonstrating good “vascular insulin sensitivity” (VIS). However, after sitting for prolonged periods, blood vessels may not dilate properly in response to insulin. When this happens, it may impair our glucose metabolism and promote inflammation in, and damage to, the blood vessels. If this process occurs frequently, it can lead to the development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Nitric oxide (NO) is a chemical emitted from the vessel wall which promotes the dilation of arteries in response to stimuli, such as increases in blood flow and insulin. Increasing blood flow through the arteries promotes the production of NO and the dilation of vessels in response to insulin. Therefore, sitting-induced decreases in blood flow may cause decreased VIS. This could partially explain why sitting is so bad for our health. In the current dissertation, we assessed if 3-min bodyweight exercises performed every 30 min could augment VIS during a 3-h sitting period in sedentary workers. We also asked sedentary workers to perform these exercise breaks at work for a full week and to gain insight into their acceptability in the workplace.
- Academic Unit
- Center for Social Science Innovation; Health, Sport, and Human Physiology
- Record Identifier
- 9984425314102771
Metrics
10 Record Views