Association of Occupational and Leisure-Time Physical Activity with Aerobic Capacity in a Working Population

Abstract

IntroductionObjective data on the association of maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) with work related physical activity are sparse. Thus, it is not clear whether occupational physical activity (OPA) contributes to an increase of VO2max. This study examined the association of VO2max with work and non-work related physical activity in a Swiss working population.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, a total of 337 healthy and full-time employed adults were recruited. Demographic data, height, weight and BMI were recorded in all subjects. Participants were classified into nine occupational categories (ISCO-88) and merged into three groups with low, moderate, and high OPA. Physical activity was objectively measured by the SenseWear Mini Armband on seven consecutive days (23 hours per day). Participants were regarded as sufficiently active when accumulating ≥30 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day. VO2max was evaluated using the multistage 20-meter shuttle run test.ResultsData of 303 participants were considered for analysis (63% male, age 33 yrs, SD 12). Multiple linear regression analysis (adjusted R2 = 0.69) revealed significant positive associations of VO2max with leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) at vigorous intensity (β = 0.212) and sufficient moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (β = 0.100) on workdays. Female gender (β = -0.622), age (β = -0.264), BMI (β = -0.220), the ratio of maximum to resting heart rate (β = 0.192), occupational group (low vs. high OPA, β = -0.141), and smoking (β = -0.133) were also identified as independent predictors of VO2max.ConclusionsThe present results suggest that VO2max is positively associated with LTPA, but not with OPA on workdays. This finding emphasizes the need for employees to engage in sufficient high-intensity physical activity in recreation for maintaining or improving VO2max with regard to health benefits.

Patterns of accelerometer‐based sedentary behavior and their association with cardiorespiratory fitness in adults

“…Occupational and leisure‐time SB may have different health effects due to different patterns of sitting accumulation (eg, duration and repetitiveness) or the context in which SB occurs . Furthermore, recent studies have found that leisure‐time SB had stronger effects on cardiorespiratory and cardiometabolic health compared to occupational SB . To distinguish between accelerometer‐based SB at the workplace and SB in leisure‐time, future studies should capture self‐reported records of daily working hours and use these data as an additional confounder to identify patterns of SB.…”

“…14,33 Furthermore, recent studies have found that leisure-time SB had stronger effects on cardiorespiratory and cardiometabolic health compared to occupational SB. 33,34 To distinguish between accelerometer-based SB at the workplace and SB in leisure-time, future studies should capture self-reported records of daily working hours and use these data as an additional confounder to identify patterns of SB. How much time individuals spend sitting at the workplace and what kind of work they do can furthermore be taken into account as it may influence SB in their leisure-time.…”

Fitness Assessment as an Anti-Aging Marker: A Narrative Review

“…The VO 2 max can be estimated applying a specific equation [85]. It has been used to asses cardiorespiratory fitness in several studies [86,87].…”

Low total physical activity, high total sitting time and high sitting time on a work day are correlated with low fitness in male working adults: a cross sectional study

“…1 Low cardiorespiratory fitness is also a strong risk factor for cardiovascular disease 2, 3 , diabetes 4-6 and all-cause mortality. 3,7,8 Cardiorespiratory fitness is affected by nonmodifiable factors such as genetic factors 9 , age and gender 10,11 as well as modifiable factors including physical activity 12 , sitting time 13 , body mass index 14 , smoking 15 , and medical conditions. 16 Among other modifiable factors, physical activity and sitting time are emerging concerns because of the current and prevalent change in life style.…”

“…Some studies showed that leisure time physical activity and sitting during leisure time have more influence on cardiorespiratory fitness. 12,13,17 Other studies claimed that workplace habits, where the employees spend most of their waking time, havestrong correlations with health outcomes. [18][19][20][21] Our study was designed to determine the relationship between each kind of domain-specific physical activity and sitting time with cardiorespiratory fitness among male workers.…”