Aerobic exercise improves gastrointestinal motility in psychiatric inpatients

AIM:To evaluate the benefit of aerobic exercise on colonic transit time(CTT)for psychiatric inpatients in a closed ward.METHODS:Sixty consecutive adult inpatients of the Somang Hospital Psychiatry Unit(Eumsung-gun,South Korea),without CTT-related diseases or drug therapies,were recruited for study from March to June of 2012.Upon enrollment,the patients were randomly assigned to partake in a 12-wk instructor-led group aerobic exercise program(exercise group;n=30)or to maintain their ordinary daily activities(control group;n=30).The exercise program was structured as 10 min warm-up(stretching),40 min exercise,and 10 min cool-down(stretching)for three days each week.The exercise sessions consisted of walking only in week one and aerobics from weeks two to 12,with increasing intensity(50%heart rate reserve(HRR)for weeks one to four,60%HRR for weeks five to eight,and 70%HRR for weeks nine to 12).CTT was measured before(baseline)and after(week 12)the exercise program,in duplicate(on days four and seven),using abdominal radiography and the multiple radio-opaque marker technique.Changes in the exercising patients’CTT and weight-,cardiovascular-and fitness-related parameters were statistically assessed.RESULTS:The study dropout rate was 30.0%,with 23patients in the exercise group and 19 patients in the control group completing the study.At week 12,the exercise group showed decreases in body weight(mean±SE)baseline:69.4±2.8 vs study-end:67.6±2.7;P<0.635)and body mass index(BMI)(25.2±1.1 vs24.9±0.8;P<0.810),but the extent of change was not significantly different from that experienced by the control group(body weight:68.8±4.0 vs 68.8±3.9;BMI:24.3±1.1 vs 24.4±1.2).However,the exercise group showed significant improvements in leg muscle strength(baseline:41.7±4.3 vs study-end:64.1±5.0;P<0.001),cardio-respiratory endurance(120.5±4.5vs 105.4±2.8;P<0.004),and leg muscle elasticity and power output(21.5±2.6 vs 30.6±2.8;P<0.001).The exercise group showed an exercise-induced reduction in total CTT(baseline:54.2±8.0 vs 30.3±6.1),which was significantly different from that experienced by the control group over the 12-wk period(48.6±9.3vs 48.3±12.3;P=0.027);however,the exercise-induced decreases in CTT involving the three colonic segments examined(right,left and recto-sigmoid)showed no significant differences from the control group.CONCLUSION:A 12-wk aerobic exercise program can benefit psychiatric inpatients by increasing intestinal motility,possibly decreasing risk of metabolic-and cardiovascular-related disease.

Combined exercise improves gastrointestinal motility in psychiatric in patients

AIM To examine the effect of combined exercise on colonic transit time(CTT) in admitted psychiatric patients. METHODS Over a 6-mo period, consecutive in patients with mental illness were recruited from the Somang Hospital Psychiatry Unit. A combined exercise program that included 60 min per day of exercise 3 d per week for 12 wk was performed. Physical fitness and CTT of the patients were measured twice before and twice after the exercise program. CTT was measured using a multiple marker technique with a radio-opaque marker. Changes in the exercising patients' CTT and weight-,cardiovascular-and fitness-related parameters were statistically assessed.RESULTS After the 12-wk combined exercise intervention, decreased intestinal transit time was observed in all CTTs of the exercise group, including the right CTT(exercise: 15.6 ± 15.2 vs 9.2 ± 11.9, control: 13.1 ± 10.4 vs 10.9 ± 18.7), left CTT(exercise: 19.7 ± 23.5 vs 10.4 ± 13.2, control: 19.2 ± 19.0 vs 16.9 ± 19.8), recto-sigmoid CTT(exercise: 14.3 ± 16.7 vs 6.7 ± 7.9, control: 15.0 ± 14.4 vs 19.3 ± 30.3), and total colonic transit time(TCTT)(exercise: 50.2 ± 38.1 vs 27.1 ± 28.0, control: 47.4 ± 34.6 vs 47.3 ± 47.3). After the 12-wk combined exercise period, TCTT was significantly shortened in the exercise group compared with that in the control group. In addition to eating habits, water intake, and fiber intake, the increased physical activity level as a result of the 12-wk combined exercise program reduced the CTT.

Colon transit time according to physical activity and characteristics in South Korean adults

AIM:To investigate factors contributing to the colon transit time(CTT),physical activity and characteristics were examined.METHODS:Forty-seven Korean adults(males,n=23;females,n=24) took a capsule containing 20 radioopaque markers to measure the CTT.The subjects used an accelerometer to measure the physical activity and underwent a bioelectrical impedance analysis to determine the physical characteristics.Macro-nutrient was also surveyed.RESULTS:The mean total CTTs(TCTT) in the males and females were 8.8 and 24.7 h(P=0.002),respectively.In the male subjects,the right CTT(3.5±4.9 h vs 10.0±11.6 h,P=0.023) and recto-sigmoid CTT(4.4±4.7 vs 13.6±12.5 h,P=0.004) were significantly shorter and the total energy expenditure(637.6±44.3 kcal vs 464.3±64.9 kcal,P=0.003),total activity count(247 017±75 022 count vs 178 014±75 998 count,P=0.003),energy expenditure of light intensity(148.5±6.9 kcal vs 120.0±16.8 kcal,P=0.006),energy expenditure of moderate intensity(472.0±36.2 kcal vs 281.4±22.2 kcal,P < 0.001),fat intake(65.5±23.3 g vs 51.2±17.4 g,P=0.010),and water consumption(1714.3±329.4 g vs 1164.7±263.6 g,P=0.009) were significantly higher than in the female subjects.Regarding correlations,when adjusted for gender,fiber(r =-0.545,P < 0.001) and water intake(r =-0.257,P < 0.05) correlated significantly with the TCTT in all subjects.In addition,the body mass index(r =-0.424,P < 0.05) and fiber intake(r =-0.417,P < 0.05) in the males as well as the fiber intake(r =-0.655,P < 0.001) in the females showed significant correlations with the TCTT.CONCLUSION:The subjects showed significant gender differences in the TCTT,right CTT,and recto-sigmoid CTT.Furthermore,the intake of the fiber and water contributed to the CTT.