After following over 80,000 adults (the average age of participants was 62 years old, 58% of whom were women) for almost seven years, the second study suggests a similar conclusion. After analyzing accelerometer data, the researchers found that the total volume of physical activity was closely associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, they found that the greater the proportion of physical activity through moderate or intense exercise, the more
cardiovascular risk declined.
“We found that when overall physical activity levels were doubled, there was no significant effect on cardiovascular disease rates when the proportion of moderate or intense physical activity remained at 10% of the total. However, the risk of cardiovascular disease did decrease by 23% and 40% when the proportion of moderate to vigorous physical activity increased to represent, respectively, 20% and 40% of the total,” the study’s lead author, Dr. Paddy C. Dempsey, a researcher at the British universities of Leicester and Cambridge, says in an e-mail.
Despite this data, however, Dempsey prefers not to speak of a “paradigm shift” in exercise recommendations for health. “One could interpret the results as a ‘quality versus quantity’ counterargument for improving cardiovascular disease health. For some, this may be useful, especially if they are pressed for time. However, to me, it would be a mistake to say that ‘volume doesn’t matter,’ as intensity and volume are intrinsically related. Instead of pitting quality against quantity, I would be more in favor of talking about different options or pathways with which to achieve benefits through physical exercise, so that each person can choose or gravitate toward the approach that works best for them,” the scientist explains.