title: Light physical activity is a better determinant of lower adiposity during the menopausal transition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between time spent performing physical activity (PA) and adiposity across the menopausal transition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Body weight and body composition were analyzed in 65 women (47-54 years old; body mass index 23.2 ± 2.4 kg/m(2)) in a 5-year prospective study. Time spent in PA of varying intensities (sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous) was determined from 7-day accelerometer measurement and energy intake with a 7-day food diary.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant negative correlations were observed between the time spent in light-intensity PA and fat mass (FM) (r = -0.38, p < 0.005), central FM (r = -0.36, p < 0.005), peripheral FM (r = -0.33, p < 0.01), and percent body fat (r = -0.42, p < 0.001) at year 1, respectively. No significant correlations were noted between measures of adiposity and time spent performing either moderate or vigorous PA. Analyses using tertiles of time spent in light PA at year 1 showed that FM (20.7 ± 4.0 vs. 20.3 ± 6.6 vs. 16.6 ± 4.6 kg, p < 0.05), central FM (10.1 ± 2.6 vs. 10.0 ± 3.8 vs. 7.8 ± 2.4 kg; p < 0.05) and percent body fat (34.5 ± 5.1 vs. 32.2 ± 7.7 vs. 28.1 ± 6.2%, p < 0.01) were all significantly lower in women in the highest tertile. These differences remained significant after covariate analyses using time spent in moderate- and high-intensity PA and total energy intake. Finally, lower levels of FM, percent body fat, central and peripheral FM persisted in women who spent more time in light PA (highest tertiles) over the 5-year follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that the time spent performing light PA may have a greater impact on adiposity than moderate and/or vigorous PA, an observation independent of the menopausal status.
authors.affiliation: * Behavioural and Metabolic Research Unit, School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa , Ottawa, Ontario.
authors.forename: M-È
authors.initials: MÈ
authors.lastname: Riou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abdulnour
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brochu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prud'homme
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rabasa-Lhoret
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doucet
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors