Relationship among physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and cardiometabolic risk factors during gastric bypass surgery–induced weight loss

Abstract Background The impact of daily physical activity (PA) on the cardiometabolic risk of bariatric surgery patients is not known. Objective We examined the influence of physical activity and sedentary behavior on modifying cardiometabolic risk after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Setting University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and East Carolina University bariatric surgery centers. Methods Data from 43 women and 7 men who completed testing at 1–3 months after RYGB surgery and again at 9 months postsurgery were analyzed. Outcomes measured included PA level (min/d), steps/d, sedentary time, and body composition. Insulin sensitivity was determined with an intravenous glucose tolerance test. Weight and blood lipid profiles also were obtained. Results Patients reduced body mass index by a mean of –8.0±3.4 kg/m 2 ( P P = .014), and decreased sedentary time (–47.9±101.0 min/d, P = .002). However, 24% of patients decreased overall PA ( P P P = .006) and steps/d (rho = –.31, P = .0106) were related to weight loss. Insulin sensitivity was associated with light PA before (rho = .37, P P = .015) intervention. Increasing overall P A also was related to higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (rho = .33, P P = .012) but not to other cardiometabolic risk factors. Conclusions The majority of patients increased PA (76%) and decreased sedentary time (61%) after RYGB surgery, but the amount of PA and sedentary time varied substantially. Higher PA, even at low intensity levels, was related to beneficial outcomes in body composition, insulin sensitivity, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.