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Active commuting linked with increased fitness, lower CVD risk factors

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Actively commuting by walking or bicycling was associated with health benefits (particularly for men) that included a reduction in risk factors for cardiovascular disease and a lower risk for obesity.

Researchers for the cross-sectional analysis enrolled 2,364 participants from the CARDIA study who worked outside the home during year 20 of the study. The researchers measured associations between actively commuting to work and body weight, BMI, fitness, CVD risk factors and serum measures using multivariable linear (or logistic) regression modeling. Participants were divided into groups of active commuters (n=395) and nonactive commuters (n=1,969).

According to the study results, 16.7% of the sample (18% men, 15.6% women) used any means of active commuting to work. A higher proportion of participants who were active commuters walked to work vs. biking. After controlling for age, race, income, education, smoking, exam center and physical activity index excluding walking, the researchers reported that active commuting was inversely associated with triglyceride level (OR=0.88; 95% CI, 0.80-0.98), diastolic blood pressure (OR=–1.67; 95% CI, –3.20 to –0.15) and fasting insulin level (OR=0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-0.93).

Active commuting also increased treadmill test duration in men (mean difference in seconds=50.02; 95% CI, 31.45-68.59) and in women (mean difference in seconds=28.77; 95% CI, 11.61-45.92), as well as reduced BMI (0.95; 95% CI, 0.92-0.97) and obesity (0.50; 95% CI, 0.33-0.76) in men.

“These findings support previous studies of health benefits of leisure-time walking and extend these findings to active commuting,” the researchers concluded. “Future investigation into the link between active commuting and health outcomes should address the amount of commuting needed for positive health benefit. There is a substantial need for development of more precise measures of active commuting.”

Gordon-Larsen P. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:1216-1223.