The aim of this study was to determine whether accumulated short bouts of exercise can achieve the same cardiovascular benefits as a single long bout of exercise in sedentary male Japanese workers and to compare the programs' relative effects on oxidative stress. Twenty-three sedentary male workers were randomly assigned into 2 different exercise programs: a long-bout group, which performed a single period of continuous exercise (long-bout group: 30 min x 1) 3 d per week, and a short-bouts group, which performed 3 short bouts of exercise (short-bouts group: 10 min x 3) 3 d per week. Cardiovascular risk factors, including the plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) level, were examined at baseline and after both 10 and 20 wk. In the long-bout group, waist circumference and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) significantly improved after 20 wk. The short-bouts group demonstrated significant increases in VO2max after 10 weeks and in HDL-C after 20 wk. Plasma TBARS significantly decreased after 20 weeks in the long-bout group and tended to decrease (but not significantly) in the short-bouts group. These results indicate that accumulated short bouts of exercise are an effective option, especially for busy workers, for incorporating exercise into one's lifestyle.

Full text (sometimes free) may be available at these link(s):      help

• DOI
• PubMed
• PDF locator
• publisher