Data from the UK Biobank demonstrates that increased brief, sporadic moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces mortality

Current physical activity guidelines recommend 150-300 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) to improve health. However, whether brief, sporadic MVPA can be included within this recommended dose remains unclear. In a cohort study, we analyzed data from 96,054 UK Biobank participants whose MVPA was objectively measured by accelerometers at baseline between 2013 and 2016. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, with follow-up through 2022. A machine learning algorithm, trained on ground-truth camera data, was employed to differentiate between sporadic and bouted MVPA. During a follow-up period of 8.0 years, 3586 deaths and 4948 incident cardiovascular disease events are identified. Compared to the least active individuals (65 min/week of sporadic MVPA at 10th percentile), those accumulating 150 and 300 min/week of sporadic MVPA have 48% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 44% to 52%) and 50% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 41% to 57%) lower all-cause mortality, respectively. For bouted MVPA, compared to the least active individuals (38 min/week of bouted at 10th percentile), those accumulating 150 and 300 min/week of bouted MVPA have 33% (95% CI: 29% to 37%) and 49% (95% CI: 44% to 53%) lower all-cause mortality, respectively. In joint analysis, optimal health benefits are observed in individuals who incorporated both bouted and sporadic MVPA, rather than merely accumulating additional sporadic MVPA beyond 150 min/week. In conclusion, meeting the minimum physical activity recommendation through accumulating brief, sporadic MVPA is supported. Incorporating bouted MVPA, rather than accumulating additional sporadic MVPA beyond 150 min/week, may confer further health benefits. The health benefits of brief, sporadic physical activity are increasingly recognized. However, it is still unclear how many minutes of sporadic physical activity per week are needed for health benefits. In this study, we analyzed a large cohort of 96,054 participants from the United Kingdom. To align with current physical activity guidelines, we focused on activity at or above moderate intensity, known as moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). We found that higher levels of sporadic MVPA were associated with lower risks of death from all causes and lower risk of cardiovascular diseases. Maximal benefits of sporadic MVPA are gained when MVPA is 150 min/week. Further increases in sporadic MVPA did not provide appreciable additional benefits. Cai et al. analyze accelerometer data from UK Biobank participants using machine learning to separate sporadic from bouted moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and link them to mortality and cardiovascular outcomes. They find that 150 min/week of sporadic MVPA yields maximal mortality benefit, and adding bouted MVPA offers further gains.