Accumulating more than 50% of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the evening was associated with significantly lower 24-hour, diurnal, and nocturnal mean glucose levels in sedentary adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic impairments.
A recent study published in Obesity examined the effect of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) timing on glycemic control in sedentary adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic impairments. The study found that evening MVPA may improve glucose homeostasis.
The cross-sectional study included 186 adults (50% women; mean age, 46.8 years) with a mean body mass index of 32.9 kg/m² and at least one metabolic impairment. Participants wore a triaxial accelerometer on their nondominant wrist and a continuous glucose-monitoring device for 14 days to monitor MVPA and glucose levels. Each day was categorized based on the predominant time of MVPA: morning (0600-1200 hours), afternoon (1200-1800 hours), evening (1800-0000 hours), or mixed if no single period predominated.
Evening MVPA was associated with a 24-hour mean glucose reduction of 1.26 mg/dL (95% CI, -2.2 to -0.4), diurnal reduction of 1.10 mg/dL (95% CI, -2.0 to -0.2), and nocturnal reduction of 2.16 mg/dL (95% CI, -3.5 to -0.8). These associations were more pronounced in participants with impaired glucose regulation.
The findings suggest that the timing of MVPA may be important for glycemic control. Evening MVPA was associated with greater reductions in glucose levels in adults with overweight or obesity and metabolic impairments. This study suggests that both the quantity and timing of physical activity should be considered in managing glucose levels.
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.