Researchers from ibs.GRANADA find a relationship between the type of daily physical activity and sleep with inflammation in children and adolescents
This study, published in the journal The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, highlights the importance of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and sleep on health
The TECe20-Rehabilita-T research group of the Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada (ibs.GRANADA), has detected that the way in which time is used between moderate-vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and sleep are related with some inflammatory markers in children and adolescents.
Movement-related behaviors, such as physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep, can be considered as activities that occur in the same fixed 24-hour period. When we give more priority to some of these activities than others, it impacts the time we spend on these behaviors, so these decisions we make about our daily priorities can have a direct impact on health.
The authors of the research work have been able to study how replacing one behavior with another affects health. This has made it possible to understand the beneficial effects of replacing one activity with another, without modifying the others. For example, they have observed that increasing physical activity can be very beneficial for health if it is replaced by a sedentary lifestyle, but may not be as beneficial if it is replaced by sleep time.
This team of scientists from ibs.GRANADA and the Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital has made this discovery thanks to a two-year study. The findings suggest that changing the amount of time we spend in moderate-vigorous physical activity, light physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep are related to some markers of inflammation later in the youth population.
According to Víctor Segura, head of this research study: “because having high levels of inflammation during childhood and adolescence is linked to a higher risk of chronic diseases in adulthood, it is recommended that children and adolescents use their time in a way that promotes a healthy immune system (increased amounts of physical activity, less time in sedentary behaviors, and adequate sleep).”
About the research group
The TECe20-Rehabilita-T research group of ibs.GRANADA, led by Rocío Pozuelo Calvo, works on various lines of research, such as Telerehabilitation, physical activity and physical exercise as elements of rehabilitation and health promotion, Functional assessment in rehabilitation and social and health care of caregivers of dependent patients. These are especially relevant lines of research within the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, which allow the development of various projects within this specialty, contributing to improving the clinical care of patients.
More information about the group at https://www.ibsgranada.es/grupos-de-investigacion/tece20-rehabilita-t/
Bibliographic reference:
Segura-Jiménez V, Pedišić Ž, Gába A, Dumuid D, Olds T, Štefelová N, Hron K, Gómez-Martínez S, Marcos A, Castro-Piñero J. Longitudinal reallocations of time between 24-h movement behaviors and their associations with inflammation in children and adolescents: the UP&DOWN study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2023;20(1):72. doi:10.1186/s12966-023-01471-9.
