LONDON (Dispatches) -- New Findings show that Physical activity levels at or above the weekly recommended amounts may counter the serious health harms associated with poor sleep quality.
The researchers drew on information provided by 380,055 middle-aged (average age 55) men and women taking part in the UK Biobank study. The UK Biobank is tracking the long term health of more than half a million 37-73 year olds, who were recruited from across the UK between 2006 and 2010.
Participants supplied information on their normal weekly physical activity levels, which were measured in Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) minutes. These are roughly equivalent to the amount of energy (calories) expended per minute of physical activity.
The lower the sleep score, the higher were the risks of death from any cause, from all types of cardiovascular disease, and from ischaemic stroke.
Both physical inactivity and poor sleep are independently associated with a heightened risk of death and/or cardiovascular disease and cancer. But it’s not clear if they might exert a combined effect on health.