Prevention & lipidsMeta-analysis
Optimizing physical activity bouts to interrupt sedentary behaviour for cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- random-effects
- subgroup and meta-regression analyses
- Searched to February 2025
Authors' conclusion
In acute experimental settings, glucose regulation appears to benefit more from frequent PA bouts, while triglyceride responses are more closely related to greater duration and/or intensity. Blood pressure shows favourable acute responses across PA types, whereas higher PA intensity is associated with improved endothelial function.
Study context
- Population
- Adults aged 18–65 years, with or without cardiometabolic conditions
- Participants
- 2,216 adults · 144 studies
- Comparison
- Physical activity (PA) bouts interrupting sedentary behaviour vs sedentary control
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Blood glucose (frequent PA bouts vs sedentary control)
SMD
−0.22
95% CI −0.27 to −0.16
Frequent PA bouts vs Sedentary control
SMD −0.22 (95% CI −0.27 to −0.16)
Original publication
Optimizing physical activity bouts to interrupt sedentary behaviour for cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 1 April 2026. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwag079
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it