A comparison of acute glycaemic responses to accumulated or single bout walking exercise in apparently healthy, insufficiently active adults

Philip Shambrook; Michael I Kingsley; Nicholas F Taylor; Daniel W Wundersitz; Claire E Wundersitz; Carl D Paton; Brett A Gordon

doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2020.02.015

A comparison of acute glycaemic responses to accumulated or single bout walking exercise in apparently healthy, insufficiently active adults

J Sci Med Sport. 2020 Oct;23(10):902-907. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.02.015. Epub 2020 Mar 6.

Authors

Philip Shambrook¹, Michael I Kingsley¹, Nicholas F Taylor², Daniel W Wundersitz¹, Claire E Wundersitz³, Carl D Paton⁴, Brett A Gordon⁵

Affiliations

¹ Holsworth Research Initiative, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Australia.
² School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Australia.
³ Angliss Hospital Community Rehabilitation Program, Eastern Health, Australia.
⁴ School of Health and Sport Science, Eastern Institute of Technology, New Zealand.
⁵ Holsworth Research Initiative, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Australia. Electronic address: b.gordon@latrobe.edu.au.

PMID: 32173259
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2020.02.015

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the acute glyacaemic response to accumulated or single bout walking exercise in apparently healthy adults.

Design: Three arm, randomised crossover control study.

Methods: Ten adults (age: 50±12.6 y; BMI 29.0±5.4kgm^-2) completed three separate trials comprising three 10-min walking bouts after breakfast, lunch, and dinner (APPW), a single 30-min walking bout after dinner only (CPPW), or a no-exercise control (NOEX). Participants walked on a treadmill at a moderate intensity of 55%-70% heart rate reserve. Two-hour postprandial glucose response was assessed using a continuous glucose monitor.

Results: There was a difference in the pattern of the glucose response between the trials during the two hours following dinner (p<0.001). Postprandial dinner glucose concentrations were not different between APPW and CPPW but were up to 1.01mmolL^-1 lower than NOEX (partial eta²=0.21, p=0.041).

Conclusions: Ten minutes of moderate intensity walking completed 30min after each meal lowers postprandial dinner glucose concentrations in comparison to no-exercise, and reduces glucose by a similar magnitude as a single 30-min bout after the evening meal. Short bouts of exercise after each meal may be recommended to minimise glucose elevations after dinner that might increase risk of cardiometabolic disease.

Keywords: Aerobic exercise; Glucose; Hyperglycaemia; Insulin sensitivity; Physical activity.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adult
Blood Glucose / metabolism*
Cross-Over Studies
Exercise / physiology*
Exercise Test
Female
Healthy Volunteers
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Postprandial Period / physiology*
Walking / physiology*

Substances

Blood Glucose