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Physical Activity Intensity Measurement and Health: State of the Art and Future Directions for Scientific Research

Author

Listed:
  • Juan Pablo Rey-López

    (Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad International de Valencia (VIU), 46002 Valencia, Spain
    Faculty of Sports, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), 30107 Murcia, Spain)

  • Dong Hoon Lee

    (Department of Sport Industry Studies, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
    Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

  • Gerson Ferrari

    (Escuela de Ciencias de la Actividad Física, el Deporte y la Salud, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago 9170022, Chile
    Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Providencia 7500912, Chile)

  • Edward Giovannucci

    (Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
    Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
    Department of Medicine, Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

  • Leandro F. M. Rezende

    (Department of Preventive Medicine, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 04023-900, Brazil)

Abstract

Physical activity guidelines for health recommend any type of unstructured physical activity for health promotion. Adults should perform at least 150–300 min per week of moderate intensity or 75–150 min per week of vigorous intensity activities, or an equivalent combination of the two intensities. However, the relationship between physical activity intensity and longevity remains a debated topic, with conflicting perspectives offered by epidemiologists, clinical exercise physiologists or anthropologists. This paper addresses the current known role of physical activity intensity (in particular vigorous versus moderate intensity) on mortality and the existing problems of measurement. Given the diversity of existing proposals to categorize physical activity intensity, we call for a common methodology. Device-based physical activity measurements (e.g., wrist accelerometers) have been proposed as a valid method to measure physical activity intensity. An appraisal of the results reported in the literature, however, highlights that wrist accelerometers have not yet demonstrated sufficient criterion validity when they are compared to indirect calorimetry. Novel biosensors and wrist accelerometers will help us understand how different metrics of physical activity relates to human health, however, all these technologies are not enough mature to provide personalized applications for healthcare or sports performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Juan Pablo Rey-López & Dong Hoon Lee & Gerson Ferrari & Edward Giovannucci & Leandro F. M. Rezende, 2023. "Physical Activity Intensity Measurement and Health: State of the Art and Future Directions for Scientific Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(11), pages 1-10, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:11:p:6027-:d:1161630
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