Why Exercise? Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is MET in terms of exercise science? How is it interpreted?
The metabolic equivalent; the ratio of the metabolic rate during a specific physical activity to the reference resting metabolic rate
The higher the MET, the higher the exercise intensity
Where is the greatest health benefit achieved in terms of exercise and mortality?
In going from doing nothing to moderate activity (not much improvement with higher intensity exercise)
Is sedentary behaviour predictive of mortality independently of level of physical activity?
Possibly; an increasing number of hours spent being sedentary are associated with an increased hazard ratio for both inactive and active individuals
List 7 conditions for which physical inactivity is a known risk factor
Coronary artery disease Stroke Hypertension Colon cancer Breast cancer T2DM Osteoporosis
What does an inclinometer measure?
Changes in position and posture (e.g. going from sitting to standing)
According to WHO, how many deaths are attributable to physical inactivity?
2 million
Outline a possible pathway involved in the biological consequences of physical inactivity
1) Physical inactivity
2) Increased abdominal adiposity
3) Macrophage infiltration of visceral fat
4) Chronic systemic inflammation
5) Insulin resistance, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, tumour growth
6) Increased risk of CVD, T2DM, breast and colon cancers, depression, and dementia
According to Medibank Private, what are the direct mortality costs of physical inactivity?
~$3.8 billion
What is the motivation for life insurance providers to perform free health screenings?
Keeps customers out of hospital further down the track by detecting health problems early, reduces future payout
What % of exercise’s effect on mortality and morbidity can be accounted for by some known biological mechanism?
Only ~50%
What are some of the known biological mechanisms and molecules involved in the protective health effects of exercise?
Exercise activates AMPK, resulting in the activation of PPAR-d; there are also multiple other signalling proteins involved
What is the new focus of physical activity guidelines?
Discouraging inactivity as well as promoting activity
Which intervention was more successful in reducing the cumulative incidence of diabetes: metformin or lifestyle? Which was cheaper?
Lifestyle (~60% reduction compared to ~30%), which was also cheaper ($1 billion compared to $3 billion)
What is the difference between exercise and sertraline as a treatment for major depression?
Same effect on risk, but exercise reduces the relapse rate
In general, what is the difference in terms of efficacy between exercise and drug interventions of many NCDs?
Exercise equally or more effective
Exercise also confers other broader health benefits
What is a possible barrier to exercise prescription by physicians? What is a possible solution?
Some physicians feel it is a waste of time as patients will not do it
Patients needed better support (from allied health services and others) to successfully incorporate the intervention into their lives
