"Weekend Warrior" Exercise Pattern Protects Against MASLD and Mortality Comparable to Regular Exercise: National...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) guidelines advocate for >150 minutes of weekly moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
• The efficacy of the "weekend warrior" (WW) physical activity pattern, concentrating MVPA into 1-2 days, versus spreading it throughout the week for MASLD management remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between the WW activity pattern and MASLD prevalence.
• To assess the impact of the WW pattern on mortality and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in individuals with MASLD.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003-2006) linked to mortality records through 2019.
• Categorized participants into WW, active, and inactive groups based on accelerometer-measured MVPA.
• Defined MASLD using the United States Fatty Liver Index (US FLI) ≥30 with at least one cardiometabolic risk factor.

Main Results:

• Both WW and active groups exhibited lower odds of MASLD compared to the inactive group (WW OR: 0.36; active OR: 0.47).
• Among MASLD patients, the WW pattern was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR: 0.35) and reduced odds of high ASCVD risk (OR: 0.27).
• The active group also showed benefits in mortality (HR: 0.48) and ASCVD risk (OR: 0.39) compared to inactive individuals.

Conclusions:

• The weekend warrior physical activity pattern demonstrates protective effects against MASLD.
• This concentrated activity pattern offers comparable benefits to regular, spread-out exercise regarding MASLD prevalence, mortality, and ASCVD risk.