The effects of two weeks of reduced activity on gastrointestinal transit time were
studied in nine healthy elderly subjects, who had engaged in regular recreational
exercise for ten years. Physical inactivity was achieved by a restriction of all kinds
of physical exercise and by staying at home. Mouth-to-cecum transit time was measured
by a breath hydrogen method and mean total and segmental colonic transit times by
a radiopaque marker method. The mouth-to-cecum transit time did not change during
the period of physical inactivity. The mean total colonic transit time (10.9 ±2.7
h) was significantly prolonged to 19.5 ±2.9 hours during the physical inactivity (p<0.01).
This prolongation was due to slowed transit through the right and the left segments
of the colon. The transit time of the rectosigmoid segment of the colon was not affected.
In conclusion, the period of physical inactivity prolonged the colonic transit time
in active elderly subjects.
Mouth-to-cecum transit time - segmental colonic transit time - inactivity
