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Posted on Jul 13, 2022, 4 a.m.
Article courtesy of Dr. Joel Kahn, MD, who is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine, one of the world's top cardiologists, best-selling author, lecturer, and a leading expert in plant-based nutrition and holistic care.
It is unclear whether the weekly recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has the same benefits for mortality risk when activity sessions are spread throughout the week (Regular Exercisers RE) vs concentrated in fewer days (Weekend Warriors) WW.
The objective of the study: To examine the association of weekend warrior WW and other patterns of leisure-time physical activity like RE with all-cause and cause-specific mortality.
Participants This large nationwide prospective cohort study included 350 978 adults who self-reported physical activity to the US National Health Interview Survey from 1997 to 2013. Participant data were linked to the National Death Index through December 31, 2015.
Exposures Participants were grouped by self-reported activity level: physically inactive (<150 minutes per week of MVPA) or physically active (≥150 min/wk of moderate or ≥75 min/wk of vigorous activity).
The physically active group was further classified by pattern: weekend warrior WW (1-2 sessions/wk) or regularly exercisers RE (≥3 session/wk); and then, by frequency, duration/session, and intensity of activity.
Outcomes and Measures All-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality. Statistical analyses were performed in April 2022.
Results A total of 350 978 participants including 51% women were followed for a median of 10.4 years (3.6 million person-years). There were 21 898 deaths documented, including 4130 from CVD and 6034 from cancer.
Compared with physically inactive participants, hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause mortality were 0.92 (reduced 8%) for weekend warriors WW and 0.85 (reduced 15%) for regularly exercising RE participants.
Given the same amount of total MVPA, weekend warrior WW participants had similar all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates as regularly exercising RE participants.
Weekend warriors WW had the same risk of all causes of death, cardiovascular death, and cancer deaths as the regular exercises RE as long as they met the weekly goals of either 150 minutes or 75 minutes of exercise.
Conclusions:
The findings of this large prospective cohort study suggest that individuals who engage in active patterns of physical activity, whether weekend warriors or regularly active, experience lower all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates than inactive individuals.
Individuals who engage in the recommended levels of physical activity may experience the same benefit whether the sessions are performed throughout the week or concentrated into fewer days.
About the author: At his core, Dr. Joel Kahn believes that plant-based nutrition is the most powerful source of preventative medicine on the planet. Having practiced traditional cardiology since 1983, it was only after his own commitment to a plant-based vegan diet that he truly began to delve into the realm of non-traditional diagnostic tools, prevention tactics, and nutrition-based recovery protocols.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine.
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