Substituting sedentary time with sleep or physical activity and subsequent weight-loss maintenance

Abstract

Objective: In this study, the associations between the substitution of sedentary time with sleep or physical activity at different intensities and subsequent weight-loss maintenance were examined.

Methods: This prospective study included 1152 adults from the NoHoW trial who had achieved a successful weight loss of ≥5% during the 12 months prior to baseline and had BMI ≥25 kg/m² before losing weight. Physical activity and sleep were objectively measured during a 14-day period at baseline. Change in body weight was included as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were changes in body fat percentage and waist circumference. Cardiometabolic variables were included as exploratory outcomes.

Results: Using isotemporal substitution models, no associations were found between activity substitutions and changes in body weight or waist circumference. However, the substitution of sedentary behavior with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with a decrease in body fat percentage during the first 6 months of the trial (-0.33% per 30 minutes higher moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [95% CI: -0.60% to -0.07%], p = 0.013).

Conclusions: Sedentary behavior had little or no influence on subsequent weight-loss maintenance, but during the early stages of a weight-loss maintenance program, substituting sedentary behavior with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity may prevent a gain in body fat percentage.

FIGURE 1

Substitution of SB with MVPA at baseline, month 6, or month 12 and subsequent 6‐month changes in body fat percentage. Models with information on outcome, all activities except SB, baseline measure of outcome, height, weight loss during the 12 months prior to inclusion, intervention group, smoking status, level of education, gender, age, country of residence, and number of valid days with Fitbit data. MVPA, moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity; SB, sedentary behavior [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]