• Paul D Loprinzi.
• The University of Mississippi, Center for Health Behavior Research, School of Applied Sciences, Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, 229 Turner Center, University, MS 38677, United States. Electronic address: pdloprin@olemiss.edu.
• Prev Med. 2015 Dec 1; 81: 73-7.

BackgroundPrevious research demonstrates that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with reduced all-cause mortality risk. Our understanding of whether individual physical activities are associated with all-cause mortality is less understood.MethodsData from the 1999-2006 NHANES were employed, with follow-up through 2011. 48 different individual physical activities (e.g., swimming, running, bicycling) were assessed, and total MVPA MET-min-month was calculated based on their responses to these 48 individual physical activities.ResultsGreater engagement in MVPA was associated with more favorable cardiovascular biomarkers, particularly for men. Even after adjustment for total MVPA, different individual physical activities were associated with cardiovascular biomarkers across gender. When compared to those not meeting guidelines (0-1999 MVPA MET-min-month), a dose-response association between MVPA and mortality was observed, with those engaging in 5 times the guideline level having the lowest risk of all-cause mortality (45% reduced risk). There was no evidence of a harmful effect of very high MVPA (e.g., 20,000+ MVPA MET-min-month).ConclusionsEngaging in MVPA even below the minimum recommendation was associated with survival benefits, and the greatest survival effects occurred at a dose of approximately 5 times the minimum recommendation. Although very high levels (e.g., 10 times the minimum recommendation) of self-reported MVPA did not demonstrate the greatest survival effects, high levels of physical activity did not appear to have harmful effects.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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