Accelerometer-derived 'weekend warrior' physical activity pattern and brain health

Abstract

Extensive evidence shows the beneficial effect of adhering to a regular physical activity (PA) pattern on brain health. However, whether the 'weekend warrior' pattern, characterized by concentrated moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) over 1-2 days, is associated with brain health is unclear. Here, we perform a prospective cohort study including 75,629 participants from the UK Biobank with validated accelerometry data. Individuals were classified into three PA patterns using current guideline thresholds: inactive (<150 min week^-1 of MVPA), weekend warrior (≥150 min week^-1 with ≥50% of total MVPA occurring within 1-2 days) and regularly active (≥150 min week^-1 but not meeting weekend warrior criteria). We find that the weekend warrior pattern is associated with similarly lower risks of dementia, stroke, Parkinson's disease, depressive disorders and anxiety compared to a regularly active pattern. Our findings highlight the weekend warrior pattern as a potential alternative in preventive intervention strategies, particularly for those unable to maintain daily activity routines.