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. Research suggests that exercise has a beneficial effect on brain health during aging but more information is needed. Here, the authors show, using UK Biobank data, that the ‘weekend warrior’ physical activity pattern, with concentrated exercise over 1–2 days, is similarly linked to lower risk of brain disorders compared to regular exercise.