Do you want to slow down your sports routine by giving yourself two weeks OFF? Think twice. Being sedentary, even for a short time, can harm your health. A study of the University of Liverpoolin the United Kingdom, still unpublished but presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Porto (Portugal), which takes place from May 17 to 20, warns against risks related to physical inactivity even over 14 days. What are the dangers ? Stopping all exercise for two weeks could put you at risk for chronic diseases by increasing the risk of Type 2 diabetesheart attack and premature death.
The researchers were interested in 28 healthy and physically active people, since they took an average of 10,000 steps per day (the daily recommendation of the World Health Organization). The volunteers were on average 25 years old and had a body mass index (BMI) of 25, the threshold beyond which the person is considered overweight.
A reduced physical form in two weeks
The physical activity of the panel was recorded as well as their fat mass and muscle mass at the beginning and at the end of the experiment. The volunteers had to drastically reduce their activity level to 1,500 steps per day. On the other hand, they had to keep their food routine. The decrease in the number of steps translated into a reduction in the duration of activity from 161 to 36 minutes per day. Sedentary time increased to 129 minutes per day.
Two weeks later, the transition from a moderate to low activity rate had caused a drop in muscle mass and an increase in fat mass, mainly in the stomach, increasing the risk of chronic diseases. In addition, the cardio-respiratory capacities had weakened and the participants could no longer run at the same intensity as before.
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