Abstract
Physical inactivity and excessive postprandial hyperglycemia are two major independent risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular-related mortality. Current health policy guidelines recommend at least 150 min of physical activity per week coupled with reduced daily sedentary behavior by interrupting prolonged sitting with bouts of light activity every 30-min. This evidence-based strategy promotes health and quality of life. Since modern lifestyle enforces physical inactivity through motorized transportation and seated office working environments, this review examines the practical strategies (standing, walking, stair climbing, and strength-based circuit exercises) for reducing sitting time and increasing activity during the workday. Furthermore, since postprandial hyperglycemia poses the greatest relative risk for developing type 2 diabetes and its cardiovascular complications, this review examines a novel hypothesis that interrupting sitting time would be best focused on the postprandial period in order to optimize blood glucose control and maximize cardiometabolic health. In doing so, we aim to identify the science gaps which urgently need filling if we are to optimize healthcare policy in this critical area.
Highlights
Since Plato wrote, “And is not the bodily habit spoiled by rest and idleness, but preserved for a long time by motion and exercise?” [1], it is an age-old message that physical inactivity is a cause of several chronic conditions
This review will discuss the optimal timing between meals and interruption of sitting time in the context of preventing poor postprandial blood glucose control, the hyperglycemic phenotype of diabetes that is a major contributor to cardiovascular-related mortality [7]
The same study found that 2-h/day of standing or walking at home was associated with a 12% reduction in diabetes whereas brisk walking for 1-h/day was associated with a 34% reduction in diabetes [12]
Summary
Since Plato wrote, “And is not the bodily habit spoiled by rest and idleness, but preserved for a long time by motion and exercise?” [1], it is an age-old message that physical inactivity is a cause of several chronic conditions. In 2017, the same authors repeated this study in 19 older patients with type 2 diabetes using continuous glucose monitoring to assess 24-h glucose control during the 4-day interventions Their findings showed that 24-h glucose AUC and time spent hyperglycemic (>10 mM) were significantly reduced by sitting less with 2-h of walking plus 3-h of standing, but not by ∼1-h of cycling [29], again highlighting the effectiveness of replacing sedentary behavior with light physical activity, such as walking, in maintaining glucose control. Subjects had noticeable hypoglycemia following the first meal, while no differences in postprandial plasma free fatty acid levels were noted between the pre- or post-meal exercise groups Another experimental design compared pre- vs post-breakfast treadmill walking (60-min of continuous moderate intensity or intervals of 1-min hard/3 min easy) to a non-walking control group in 10 older aged, overweight/obese, men and women with type 2 diabetes [49]. It is prudent for future training studies to consider and report activity-meal timing
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
