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Introduction: The time dedicated to movement (e.g., physical activity) and non-movement behaviours (e.g., sitting) has important implications in terms of maintaining physical performance (PP), while it has also been independently associated with better or poorer PP. Physical performance in older adults may be significantly improved by changing daily movement and non-movement behaviours. Therefore, the aims of this study were: (i) to analyse the associations of the time dedicated to movement and non-movement behaviours (i.e., lying down, sitting, standing, and locomotion) with PP (Time up and Go test and the Short Physical Performance Battery); and (ii) to examine how theoretically reallocating time between these behaviours is associated with this outcome., Methods: Forty-nine older adults (mean age: 82.9 ± 6.9 yrs) wore an activity monitor to measure periods of lying down, sitting, standing and locomotion. PP measures included the Time up and Go test (TUG) and the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)., Results: Replacing 60 min∙d-1 of lying down time with standing resulted in a significant improvement in TUG (β = -4.99, 95% CI = -8.81, -1.17), and SPPB (β = -0.93, 95% CI = 0.04, 1.82). Likewise, replacing 60 min∙d-1 of sitting time with standing also resulted in a significant improvement in TUG (β = -4.51, 95% CI = -8.67, -0.37). Meanwhile, replacing 60 min∙d-1 of lying down or sitting time with locomotion resulted in a significant improvement in the Sit to Stand test of the SPPB (β = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.14, 1.49, and β = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.23, 1.56, respectively)., Discussion and Conclusion: Isotemporal substitution modelling suggests that replacing 60 min∙d-1 of non-movement or stationary behaviours, such as standing, with an equivalent locomotion time may contribute to improved PP in older adults., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This work received a grant from the Community of Madrid within the framework of the Multi-year Agreement with the University of Alcalá in the line of action “Estímulo a la Excelencia para Profesores Universitarios Permanentes”. EPU-DPTO/2020/004., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to examine, theoretically, how reallocating time between the intensity of mutually exclusive categories of physical activity and sedentary behavior time is associated with metabolic syndrome. Four hundred and six older adults (61.6% women) from the second wave of the EpiFloripa Aging Cohort Study were included in the study (mean age 71.7 ± 5.9 years). Isotemporal substitution analysis showed a decrease of 35% (odds ratio: 0.65; 95% confidence interval [0.45, 0.96]) in the risk for metabolic syndrome when replacing 30 min/day of sedentary behavior with an equivalent amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Furthermore, it has been observed that older adults classified as low sedentary behavior and physically active were 57% less likely to have metabolic syndrome than participants classified as high sedentary and physically inactive (odds ratio: 0.43; 95% confidence interval [0.19, 0.97]). This study highlights the importance of behavioral categories that may emerge concerning the interrelationships of physical activity and health in older adults, having important implications for future health intervention programs.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this article.