Participation in physical activity is associated with reduced nocturnal hypoxaemia in males

Background Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) interventions reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea, however, little epidemiological research exists to confirm these findings.

Methods 789 participants from the population-based Men Androgen Inflammation Lifestyle Environment and Stress (MAILES) Study underwent polysomnography. MVPA was assessed using the Active Australia questionnaire, which was completed when participants were first recruited to the MAILES study (2002–2006), and again in 2010. Multinomial logistic regressions established odds ratio between obstructive sleep apnoea severity categories with MVPA, whilst adjusted linear models determined associations between obstructive sleep apnoea metrics with MVPA.

Results Cross-sectionally, each hour of MVPA was associated with reduced severity of mean oxygen desaturation (unstandardised β [B]=−0.002, p=0.043) and reduced time below 90% oxygen saturation (B=−0.03, p=0.034).

Longitudinally, each hour increases in MVPA was associated with a 4.0% reduction in the odds of severe obstructive sleep apnoea and less severe mean oxygen desaturation (B=−0.003, p=0.014), time below 90% oxygen saturation (B=−0.02, p=0.02), and mean duration of apnoeas (B=−0.004, p=0.016).

Discussion MVPA is associated with reduced hypoxaemia in a cohort of community dwelling males, approximately half of whom had untreated obstructive sleep apnoea. As nocturnal intermittent hypoxaemia is associated with cardiometabolic disorders, MVPA may offer protection for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.