Associations of exercise snacks with sarcopenia and all-cause mortality: A national cohort study
- 1College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225127, China
- 2Changzhou Vocational Institute of Textile and Garment, Changzhou, Jiangsu, 213164, China
Abstract
We aimed to examine the associations of exercise snacks (ES), defined as brief accumulated bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, with sarcopenia and all-cause mortality. We analyzed data from the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Exercise snacks were quantified using two indices: MIMS-ES (average daily MIMS units accumulated during exercise snack bouts) and Time-ES (total daily minutes spent in exercise snack bouts). Survey-weighted regression models, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses, and survival analyses were used to examine the associations of exercise snacks with sarcopenia, handgrip strength, and all-cause mortality. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. A total of 2,969 participants were included. In the fully adjusted models, each 1-unit increase in MIMS-ES and each additional minute of Time-ES were associated with 8% and 9% lower odds of sarcopenia, respectively. Higher levels of exercise snacks were also associated with greater handgrip strength. RCS analyses revealed an L-shaped association, with the inverse association levelling off beyond approximately 2,050 units/day for MIMS-ES and 80 min/day for Time-ES. Among participants with sarcopenia, higher exercise snack levels were associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, with MIMS-ES (HR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.91) and Time-ES (HR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.91). The results were broadly consistent across subgroup and sensitivity analyses. These findings suggest that higher levels of exercise snacks were associated with favorable muscle health and survival outcomes, while further prospective and interventional studies are needed to clarify these associations.
Related
- Effects of exercise snacks combining resistance training and Wuqinxi on older adults with possible sarcopenia in nursing homes: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
- The effects of resistance exercise snacks via a mobile health app on musculoskeletal strength in sedentary young women: a randomized controlled trial
- Psychological impacts of exercise snacks vs. traditional exercise: a comparative study.
- Associations of access to exercise opportunities and physical inactivity with cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic mortality: a nationwide ecological study
- Distributed stair-climbing exercise snacks versus task-matched concentrated stair climbing in office workers: a 12-week three-arm randomized controlled trial
BibTeX
@article{song2026associations,
title = {{Associations of exercise snacks with sarcopenia and all-cause mortality: A national cohort study}},
author = {Jiulong Song and Guoguo Zhao and Zihao Chen and Jian Fu},
journal = {Biology of Sport},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.5114/biolsport.2026.163369},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2026.163369},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Associations of exercise snacks with sarcopenia and all-cause mortality: A national cohort study
AU - Jiulong Song
AU - Guoguo Zhao
AU - Zihao Chen
AU - Jian Fu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/27
JO - Biology of Sport
DO - 10.5114/biolsport.2026.163369
UR - https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2026.163369
AB - We aimed to examine the associations of exercise snacks (ES), defined as brief accumulated bouts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, with sarcopenia and all-cause mortality. We analyzed data from the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Exercise snacks were quantified using two indices: MIMS-ES (average daily MIMS units accumulated during exercise snack bouts) and Time-ES (total daily minutes spent in exercise snack bouts). Survey-weighted regression models, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses, and survival analyses were used to examine the associations of exercise snacks with sarcopenia, handgrip strength, and all-cause mortality. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. A total of 2,969 participants were included. In the fully adjusted models, each 1-unit increase in MIMS-ES and each additional minute of Time-ES were associated with 8% and 9% lower odds of sarcopenia, respectively. Higher levels of exercise snacks were also associated with greater handgrip strength. RCS analyses revealed an L-shaped association, with the inverse association levelling off beyond approximately 2,050 units/day for MIMS-ES and 80 min/day for Time-ES. Among participants with sarcopenia, higher exercise snack levels were associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, with MIMS-ES (HR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.91) and Time-ES (HR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.91). The results were broadly consistent across subgroup and sensitivity analyses. These findings suggest that higher levels of exercise snacks were associated with favorable muscle health and survival outcomes, while further prospective and interventional studies are needed to clarify these associations.
SN - 0860-021X
SN - 2083-1862
ER -