What are the potential detrimental interactions between prolonged sitting and mild hypercapnia on autonomic system activity, vascular function, and microvascular oxygenation? In this episode, Editor-in-Chief Irv Zucker (University of Nebraska Medical Center) interviews lead author Song-Young Park (University of Nebraska at Omaha) and expert Camilla Wenceslau (University of Toledo) about the latest study by Headid et al., which found that prolonged sitting attenuated systemic and peripheral vascular endothelial function, as well as microvascular function in healthy adults. Park and co-authors also found that prolonged sitting coupled with mild hypercapnic conditions that mimic everyday environments in workplaces, office buildings, and school classrooms resulted in exacerbated peripheral vascular and microvascular dysfunction. Listen as we discuss how prolonged sitting may aggravate disease conditions such as sleep apnea, COPD, and obesity. What are the potential implications of this research for students spending long hours sitting indoors with restricted movement due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions? Listen to find out.

Ronald J. Headid 3rd, Elizabeth J. Pekas, TeSean K. Wooden, Won-Mok Son, Gwenael Layec, John Shin, Song-Young Park Impacts of prolonged sitting with mild hypercapnia on vascular and autonomic function in healthy recreationally active adults Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, published August 4, 2020. DOI: doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00354.2020