Cardiometabolic Response to Sit-stand Workstations.

The present study will include 24 male and female participants 18 years of age and older who work in an office-based setting. To be included participants must be abdominally obese, defined as a waist circumference ≥ 88 cm for women, and 102 cm for men. All potential participants will be asked to come to the Human Performance Laboratory at University of Prince Edward Island and will be given an opportunity to ask questions about the study, and to read and sign the informed consent form. Once this has taken place, participants will have their waist circumference measured in order to determine whether they meet the above criteria. If not, the individual will be thanked for their time and told that they are not eligible to participate in the current study.

Lab Day 1 (baseline)

Once screening is complete, participants will have glycosylated hemoglobin checked via a simple finger prick and point-of-care analysis of a single drop of blood. (Funding dependent, a second drop of blood may be used to analyze the participant's blood lipid profile- as would be done at a typical doctor's office visit). Next we will measure the participants' resting metabolic rate, by having them lay on a hospital bed while we analyze the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations of the air they exhale. This will inform us as to the participant's baseline caloric needs. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference and body composition will be determined following resting metabolic rate, prior to the determination of aerobic fitness using a sub-maximal exercise protocol (see below).

Augmentation Index:

Arterial stiffness will be determined using a Sphygmocor pulse wave applanation tonomoter (Atcor Medical). This device measures arterial pulse waves non-invasively through the skin at the wrist. We will use this same device to analyze the shape of the pulse wave, which will give us information about reflected pulse waves (and thus the stiffness of the arterial tree). The measure of arterial stiffness is non-invasive and pain-free and is taken using a pen-like tool pressed against the participant's skin to detect his or her pulse.