Effects of active commuting on cardiovascular risk factors: GISMO—a randomized controlled feasibility study

A sedentary lifestyle is a major modifiable risk factor for many chronic diseases. Lifestyle modification in order to increase exercise capacity is key in the prevention and rehabilitation of chronic diseases. This could be achieved by active commute. The aim of this study was to assess the effects...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports 2020-08, Vol.30 (S1), p.15-23
Main Authors: Reich, Bernhard, Niederseer, David, Loidl, Martin, Fernandez La Puente de Battre, Maria Dolores, Rossi, Valentina Alice, Zagel, Bernhard, Caselli, Stefano, Schmied, Christian, Niebauer, Josef
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
active commuting
Adult
Bicycling - physiology
Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control
Chronic illnesses
Commuting
Exercise
Exercise - physiology
exercise training
Feasibility Studies
Female
Heart Disease Risk Factors
Humans
lifestyle modification
Male
Middle Aged
Physical fitness
Risk factors
Special Issue
Surveys and Questionnaires
Transportation - methods
Walking - physiology
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Summary:A sedentary lifestyle is a major modifiable risk factor for many chronic diseases. Lifestyle modification in order to increase exercise capacity is key in the prevention and rehabilitation of chronic diseases. This could be achieved by active commute. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of daily active commuting on physical activity (PA) and exercise capacity. Seventy‐three healthy hospital employees (age: 46 ± 9 years, 38% male), with a predominantly passive way of commuting, were randomly assigned to two parallel groups, a control group (CG, N = 22) or an intervention group (IG, N = 51), which was further split into public transportation/active commuting (IG‐PT, N = 25) and cycling (IG‐C, N = 26). Both intervention groups were asked to reach 150 min/wk of moderate‐ to vigorous‐intensity exercise during their commute for 1 year. CG maintained a passive commuting mode. All participants underwent assessment of anthropometry, risk factor stratification, and exercise capacity by a medical doctor at the Institute of Sports Medicine, Prevention and Rehabilitation. Weekly physical activity, using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and commuting behavior, using an online diary, were used to assess physical activity. At the end of the study, the change in exercise capacity did significantly differ between IG and CG (P = .003, ES = 0.82). Actively covered distances through commuting significantly differed between groups (walking P = .026; cycling P 
ISSN:0905-7188
1600-0838
DOI:10.1111/sms.13697