Effect of short moderate intensity exercise bouts on cardiovascular function and maximal oxygen consumption in sedentary older adults

AIM: To investigate effect of <10 min moderate intensity exercise on cardiovascular function and maximal oxygen consumption ([Formula: see text] O(2)max) among sedentary adults. METHODS: We studied 53 sedentary urbanites aged ≥50 years, randomised into: (1) male (M(S)) and (2) female (F(S)) undertaking three short-duration exercise (5–10 min) daily, and (3) male (M(L)) and (4) female (F(L)) exercising 30–60 min 3–5 days weekly. Resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate and [Formula: see text] O(2)max were measured at baseline and 8 weekly for 24 weeks. RESULTS: At baseline, 50% M(S), 61.5% M(L), 53.8% F(S) and 53.8% F(L) had SBP ≥120 mm Hg, and 14.3% M(S), 53.8% M(L), 23.1% F(S) and 38.5% F(L) had DBP ≥80 mm Hg. At 24 weeks, where SBP remained ≥120 mm Hg, values decreased from 147±19.2 to 132.3±9.6 mm Hg (50% of M(S)), from 144±12.3 to 128±7.0 mm Hg (23.1% of M(L)), from 143.1±9.6 to 128.0±7.0 mm Hg (53.8% of F(S)) and from 152.3±23.7 to 129±3.7 mm Hg (30.8% of F(L)). For DBP ≥80 mm Hg, M(S) and F(S) percentages maintained, but values decreased from 101±15.6 to 84.5±0.7 mm Hg (M(S)) and 99.0±3.6 to 87.7±4.9 mm Hg (F(S)). In M(L) and F(L), percentage with DBP ≥80 mm Hg dropped to 15.4% (86.1±6.5 to 82.5±3.5 mm Hg) and (91.4±5.3 to 83.5±0.71 mm Hg). [Formula: see text] O(2)max increased from 26.1±4.4 to 32.0±6.2 for M(S), from 25.8±5.1 to 28.8±5.4 for M(L) (group differences p=0.02), from 20.2±1.8 to 22.7±2.0 for F(S) and from 21.2±1.9 to 24.2±2.7 for F(L) (groups differences p=0.38). CONCLUSION: Accumulated moderate intensity exercise bouts of <10 min confer similar-to-better cardiovascular and [Formula: see text] O(2)max improvements compared with current recommendations among sedentary adults.