A systematic review of standing and treadmill desks in the workplace.

OBJECTIVES: Standing and treadmill desks are intended to reduce the amount of time spent sitting in today's otherwise sedentary office. Proponents of these desks suggest that health benefits may be acquired as standing desk use discourages long periods of sitting, which has been identified as an independent health risk factor. Our objectives were thus to analyze the evidence for standing and treadmill desk use in relation to physiological (chronic disease prevention and management) and psychological (worker productivity, well-being) outcomes. METHODS: A computer-assisted systematic search of Medline, PubMed, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and EMBASE databases was employed to identify all relevant articles related to standing and treadmill desk use. RESULTS: Treadmill desks led to the greatest improvement in physiological outcomes including postprandial glucose, HDL cholesterol, and anthropometrics, while standing desk use was associated with few physiological changes. Standing and treadmill desks both showed mixed results for improving psychological well-being with little impact on work performance. DISCUSSION: Standing and treadmill desks show some utility for breaking up sitting time and potentially improving select components of health. At present; however, there exist substantial evidence gaps to comprehensively evaluate the utility of each type of desk to enhance health benefits by reducing sedentary time.

The Acute Metabolic and Vascular Impact of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis analyzing the impact of up to 24 h of prolonged sitting on postprandial glucose, insulin and triglyceride responses, blood pressure and vascular function, in comparison to sitting interrupted with light- to moderate-intensity physical activity. METHODS: To be included, studies had to examine the impact of prolonged sitting lasting < 24 h in apparently healthy males or females of any age. Studies were identified from searches of the MEDLINE, CINAHL and SportDISCUS databases on July 6, 2016. Study quality was assessed using the Downs and Black Checklist; publication bias was assessed via funnel plot. RESULTS: Forty-four studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review; of these, 20 were included in the meta-analysis, which compared prolonged sitting to the effects of interrupting sitting with regular activity breaks on postprandial glucose, insulin and triglycerides. When compared to prolonged sitting, regular activity breaks lowered postprandial glucose (d = - 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] - 0.50 to - 0.21) and insulin (d = - 0.37, 95% CI - 0.53 to - 0.20), but not triglyceride responses (d = 0.06, 95% CI - 0.15 to 0.26). Subgroup analyses indicated reductions in postprandial triglyceride responses only occurred 12-16 h after the intervention. The magnitude of the reductions in glucose, insulin or triglyceride response was not modified by the intensity of the activity breaks, the macronutrient composition of the test meal, or the age or body mass index of participants. CONCLUSION: Prolonged sitting results in moderate elevations in postprandial glucose and insulin responses when compared to sitting interrupted with activity breaks. PROSPERO ID: CRD42015020907.

Sit-Stand Desks To Reduce Workplace Sitting Time In Office Workers With Abdominal Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Sit-stand desks reduce workplace sitting time among healthy office workers; however, their metabolic and behavioral impact in higher risk populations remains unknown. METHODS: 25 office workers with abdominal obesity were randomized to an intervention (sit-stand workstation) or control group (seated desk) for 12 weeks. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed before and after the intervention period in both groups. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, which did not change, the intervention group experienced significant reductions in workday (344 ± 107 to 186 ± 101 min/day) and total (645 ± 140 to 528 ± 91 min/day) sitting time, as well as increases in workday standing time (154 ± 108 to 301 ± 101 min/day, P < .05). There were no changes in sitting or standing time outside of work hours, steps taken each day, or any marker of cardiometabolic risk in either group (all P > .05). CONCLUSION: Sit-stand desks were effective in reducing workplace sedentary behavior in an at-risk population, with no change in sedentary behavior or physical activity outside of work hours. However, these changes were not sufficient to improve markers of cardiometabolic risk in this population.