Accounting for the Nutritional Context to Correctly Interpret Results from Studies of Exercise and Sedentary Behavior

Abstract

There is a wealth of research lauding the benefits of exercise to oppose cardiometabolic disease such as diabetes, CVD and hypertension. However, in the great majority of these studies, the nutritional context (energy balance, deficit, or surplus) has been ignored, despite its profound effect on responses to both exercise and inactivity. Even a minor energy deficit or surplus can strongly modulate the magnitude and duration of the metabolic responses to an intervention; therefore, failure to account for this important confounding variable obscures clear interpretation of the results from studies of exercise or inactivity. The aim of this review is to highlight key lessons from studies examining the interaction between exercise and sedentary behavior, energy status, and glucose and insulin regulation. In addition to identifying notable problems, we suggest a few potential solutions.