Associations Between Clinical Inflammatory Risk Markers, Body Composition, Heart Rate Variability, and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity in University Students with Overweight and Obesity

This cross-sectional study aimed to identify associations between clinical inflammatory risk markers, body composition, heart rate variability (HRV), and self-reported and objectively assessed physical activity (PA) in university students with overweight and obesity. Seventeen participants (eight fe...

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Main Authors: Sascha W. Hoffmann, Janis Schierbauer, Paul Zimmermann, Thomas Voit, Auguste Grothoff, Nadine Wachsmuth, Andreas Rössler, Tobias Niedrist, Helmut K. Lackner, Othmar Moser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1510
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author Sascha W. Hoffmann
Janis Schierbauer
Paul Zimmermann
Thomas Voit
Auguste Grothoff
Nadine Wachsmuth
Andreas Rössler
Tobias Niedrist
Helmut K. Lackner
Othmar Moser
author_facet Sascha W. Hoffmann
Janis Schierbauer
Paul Zimmermann
Thomas Voit
Auguste Grothoff
Nadine Wachsmuth
Andreas Rössler
Tobias Niedrist
Helmut K. Lackner
Othmar Moser
author_sort Sascha W. Hoffmann
collection DOAJ
description This cross-sectional study aimed to identify associations between clinical inflammatory risk markers, body composition, heart rate variability (HRV), and self-reported and objectively assessed physical activity (PA) in university students with overweight and obesity. Seventeen participants (eight females) completed a screening visit following a randomized controlled four-arm crossover trial period with 8 h of uninterrupted prolonged sitting, alternate sitting and standing, continuous standing, and continuous slow walking, respectively. Clinical inflammatory risk markers were obtained from venous blood samples, and PA was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) and ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers. HRV was recorded over 24 h using the Faros 180 Holter electrocardiogram (ECG). White blood cell (WBC) counts were significantly correlated with fat mass (FM; <i>p</i> = 0.03) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT; <i>p</i> = 0.04) and inversely correlated with moderate PA (<i>p</i> = 0.02). Light-intensity PA (LIPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were correlated with HRV parameters (<i>p</i> = 0.02), and LIPA was inversely correlated with interleukin-6 (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and c-reactive protein (<i>p</i> = 0.04) during different trial conditions. In university students with overweight and obesity, higher values of FM were negatively correlated with WBC count, and integrating LIPA and MVPA in the students’ daily life strengthened their sympathetic–parasympathetic regulation and positively mediated anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
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spelling doaj-art-b12220920c1c48ff98eccf5cd18d5a8d2025-08-20T02:06:15ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-02-01255151010.3390/s25051510Associations Between Clinical Inflammatory Risk Markers, Body Composition, Heart Rate Variability, and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity in University Students with Overweight and ObesitySascha W. Hoffmann0Janis Schierbauer1Paul Zimmermann2Thomas Voit3Auguste Grothoff4Nadine Wachsmuth5Andreas Rössler6Tobias Niedrist7Helmut K. Lackner8Othmar Moser9Division of Theory and Practice of Sports and Fields of Physical Activity, BaySpo—Bayreuth Center of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyDivision of Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, BaySpo—Bayreuth Center of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyDivision of Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, BaySpo—Bayreuth Center of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyDivision of Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, BaySpo—Bayreuth Center of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyDivision of Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, BaySpo—Bayreuth Center of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyDivision of Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, BaySpo—Bayreuth Center of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyDepartment of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, AustriaClinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, AustriaDepartment of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical University of Graz, 8010 Graz, AustriaDivision of Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, BaySpo—Bayreuth Center of Sport Science, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, GermanyThis cross-sectional study aimed to identify associations between clinical inflammatory risk markers, body composition, heart rate variability (HRV), and self-reported and objectively assessed physical activity (PA) in university students with overweight and obesity. Seventeen participants (eight females) completed a screening visit following a randomized controlled four-arm crossover trial period with 8 h of uninterrupted prolonged sitting, alternate sitting and standing, continuous standing, and continuous slow walking, respectively. Clinical inflammatory risk markers were obtained from venous blood samples, and PA was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF) and ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers. HRV was recorded over 24 h using the Faros 180 Holter electrocardiogram (ECG). White blood cell (WBC) counts were significantly correlated with fat mass (FM; <i>p</i> = 0.03) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT; <i>p</i> = 0.04) and inversely correlated with moderate PA (<i>p</i> = 0.02). Light-intensity PA (LIPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were correlated with HRV parameters (<i>p</i> = 0.02), and LIPA was inversely correlated with interleukin-6 (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and c-reactive protein (<i>p</i> = 0.04) during different trial conditions. In university students with overweight and obesity, higher values of FM were negatively correlated with WBC count, and integrating LIPA and MVPA in the students’ daily life strengthened their sympathetic–parasympathetic regulation and positively mediated anti-inflammatory mechanisms.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1510sympathetic–parasympathetic regulationobjectively assessed physical activitylow-grade inflammationbiomarkerssedentary timehealth risk behavior
spellingShingle Sascha W. Hoffmann
Janis Schierbauer
Paul Zimmermann
Thomas Voit
Auguste Grothoff
Nadine Wachsmuth
Andreas Rössler
Tobias Niedrist
Helmut K. Lackner
Othmar Moser
Associations Between Clinical Inflammatory Risk Markers, Body Composition, Heart Rate Variability, and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity in University Students with Overweight and Obesity
Sensors
sympathetic–parasympathetic regulation
objectively assessed physical activity
low-grade inflammation
biomarkers
sedentary time
health risk behavior
title Associations Between Clinical Inflammatory Risk Markers, Body Composition, Heart Rate Variability, and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity in University Students with Overweight and Obesity
title_full Associations Between Clinical Inflammatory Risk Markers, Body Composition, Heart Rate Variability, and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity in University Students with Overweight and Obesity
title_fullStr Associations Between Clinical Inflammatory Risk Markers, Body Composition, Heart Rate Variability, and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity in University Students with Overweight and Obesity
title_full_unstemmed Associations Between Clinical Inflammatory Risk Markers, Body Composition, Heart Rate Variability, and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity in University Students with Overweight and Obesity
title_short Associations Between Clinical Inflammatory Risk Markers, Body Composition, Heart Rate Variability, and Accelerometer-Assessed Physical Activity in University Students with Overweight and Obesity
title_sort associations between clinical inflammatory risk markers body composition heart rate variability and accelerometer assessed physical activity in university students with overweight and obesity
topic sympathetic–parasympathetic regulation
objectively assessed physical activity
low-grade inflammation
biomarkers
sedentary time
health risk behavior
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1510
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