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Date of Graduation
5-9-2024
Semester of Graduation
Spring
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Department of Kinesiology
Second Advisor
Elizabeth S. Edwards
Third Advisor
Jeremy D. Akers
Fourth Advisor
Eric D. Magrum
Abstract
Due to the high incidence of CVD in older adults, low levels of habitual physical activity, and poor dietary habits, it is imperative to determine an effective minimal dose of exercise that is attainable to mitigate adverse postprandial (post-meal) responses. This study is the first to our knowledge to assess whether accumulated exercise to expend 25% of the calories consumed in a high-fat meal (HFM) of moderate intensity walking will lower postprandial triglycerides (TRG), glucose (GLU) and metabolic load index (MLI: summation of GLU and TRG), compared to continuous exercise, in middle-aged and older adults (OA). Methods: Ten OA (n=10, 6F, 4M) participated in a partially randomized, crossover design with three conditions following a HFM: 1) sedentary for 6 hours 2) one continuous walking bout (~30 minutes) (HFM+CONT), and 3) 10 equal accumulated bouts (~3 minutes) (HFM+ACCU). The HFM was Marie Callender's Chocolate Satin Pie (57% fat; %37% CHO) consumed at 12 kcal/kg of body weight. Both exercise conditions expended 25% of the calories consumed. Mixed effects models were used to determine time, condition, and interaction effects on TRG, GLU, and MLI. Results: TRG were significantly lower in HFM+CONT compared to the HFM condition over time (p=0.02) and a trend toward significance reductions in HFM+ACCU, compared to HFM, at 300-minutes (p=0.055). Both HFM+CONT and HFM+ACCU had significant effects on GLU over time (pConclusion:Following a HFM, continuous exercise is effective at lowering TRG, GLU, and MLI, while accumulated bouts of exercise are most effective at reducing and maintaining GLU levels. Walking to expend 25% of calories consumed either continuously or throughout the day can differentially mitigate postprandial metabolic outcomes.
