Cardiometabolic Effects of a Workplace Cycling Intervention

in Journal of Physical Activity and Health

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James E. Peterman
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Kalee L. Morris
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Rodger Kram
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William C. Byrnes
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2018-0062
Keywords:
sitting/standing; sedentary behavior; physical activity; obesity
First Published Online:
27 Jun 2019
In Print:
Volume 16: Issue 7
Page Range:
547–555
Restricted access

Background: In laboratory settings, cycling workstations improve cardiometabolic risk factors. Our purpose was to quantify risk factors following a cycling intervention in the workplace. Methods: Twenty-one office workers who sat at work ≥6 hours per day underwent baseline physiological measurements (resting blood pressure, blood lipid profile, maximum oxygen consumption [V˙O2max], body composition, and 2-h oral glucose tolerance test). Participants were randomly assigned to a 4-week intervention only group (n = 12) or a delayed intervention group (n = 9) that involved a 4-week control condition before beginning the intervention. During the intervention, participants were instructed to use the cycling device a minimum of 15 minutes per hour, which would result in a total use of ≥2 hours per day during the workday. Following the intervention, physiological measurements were repeated. Results: Participants averaged 1.77 (0.48) hours per day of cycling during the intervention with no changes in actigraphy-monitored noncycling physical activity. Four weeks of the workplace intervention increased V˙O2max (2.07 [0.44] to 2.17 [0.44] L·min−1, P < .01); end of V˙O2max test power output (166.3 [42.2] to 176.6 [46.1] W, P < .01); and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.09 [0.17] to 1.17 [0.24] mmol·L−1, P = .04). Conclusions: A stationary cycling device incorporated into a sedentary workplace for 4 weeks improves some cardiometabolic risk factors with no compensatory decrease in noncycling physical activity.

The authors are with the Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO.

Peterman (James.Peterman@Colorado.edu) is corresponding author.
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