Objectives
In prior studies of exercise done before or after breakfast and lunch, postprandial
activity generally reduces glycemia more than pre-meal. This study sought to examine
the effects of exercise before or after an evening meal.
Design
Examined the differing effects of a single bout of pre- or postprandial moderate exercise
or no exercise on the glycemic response to an evening (dinner) meal in individuals
with type 2 diabetes.
Setting
Community-dwelling participants tested at a research university in Virginia.
Participants
Twelve men and women subjects (mean age of 61.4±2.7 years) with type 2 diabetes treated with diet and/or oral medications.
Intervention
Three trials conducted on separate days consisting of a rest day when subjects consumed
a standardized dinner with a moderate glycemic effect and 2 exercise days when they
undertook 20 minutes of self-paced treadmill walking immediately before or 15 to 20 minutes after eating.
Measurements
Blood samples taken every 30 minutes over a 4-hour period and later assayed for plasma glucose; from these data
both absolute and relative changes in glucose levels were determined, as well as the
total glucose area under the curve (AUC) of the 4-hour testing period. Initial samples
were additionally assayed for glycated hemoglobin and lipid levels.
Results
Twenty minutes of self-paced walking done shortly after meal consumption resulted
in lower plasma glucose levels at the end of exercise compared to values at the same
time point when subjects had walked pre-dinner. Total glucose AUC over 4 hours was not significantly different among trials.
Conclusion
Postprandial walking may be more effective at lowering the glycemic impact of the
evening meal in individuals with type 2 diabetes compared with pre-meal or no exercise
and may be an effective means to blunt postprandial glycemic excursions.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 22, 2009
Footnotes
This work was fully supported by a clinical research grant from the Lifescan, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company.
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 American Medical Directors Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
