Understanding the role of sedentary behaviour within the triad of physical activity,cardiometabolic function and cognition

摘要

Through evolution, there is a conserved link between physical activity, cardiometabolic function and brain health. Indeed, for survival, our ancestors had to both out-run and out-plan their peers in the hunt for food, and utilise those gained food resources effectively in order to pass on their genes. This would create environmental pressure favouring physiology that promotes a virtuous cycle between physical activity, cardiometabolic function and cognition. Despite this evolutionary context, modern society is characterised by an environment that encourages prolonged sitting as the default behaviour, with physical activity as a deliberate and planned endeavour. Time is "set aside" for structured exercise, as opposed to it being incidental and the historical nexus between exercise and food procurement has been fundamentally disrupted.