An Afternoon Workout May Help Control Blood Sugar

team is, Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) studies included men and women aged 45 and 65 with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or greater, i.e. overweight or obese.

We then invited all residents between the ages of 45 and 65 with a BMI representative of the general population of a municipality in the Netherlands as a control group, covering a study population of approximately 6,700 people.

All participants underwent a physical examination in which blood samples were taken to measure fasting and postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels.

They were also asked about their lifestyle, and some were selected to have an MRI scan to measure their liver fat content.

955 randomized participants were given a combination accelerometer and heart rate monitor to monitor movement and activity for 4 consecutive days and nights.

The day was divided into three blocks. 6am to 12pm. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) rates occur from 12pm to 6pm and 6pm to midnight, respectively, showing the most active periods.

These measurements were used to estimate the energy expenditure of physical activity, allowing researchers to determine time spent at various activity intensities.

Only 775 people with complete data were included in the analysis.

Researchers found that exercise in the afternoon reduced insulin resistance by 18% and exercise in the evening by 25% compared to spreading out activities throughout the day.

They also found that time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity decreased both liver fat content and insulin resistance.

However, van der Velde and team found no significant difference in insulin resistance between morning activity and exercise spread evenly throughout the day.

van der Velde said he was not surprised that afternoon or evening physical activity appeared to be most effective. This is because previous studies conducted in people with diabetes have shown that high-intensity exercise in the afternoon rather than the morning had the most beneficial effects on glycemic control. .

“However, our study looked at habitual moderate-to-vigorous physical activity,” he said. walking and cycling, the latter especially in the Netherlands.”

He and his team observed differences in insulin resistance of up to 25% between groups that were active primarily in the evening and groups in which MVPA was evenly distributed throughout the day.

“This big difference was unexpected,” says van der Velde.

Doctor Ricardo CorreaDirector of the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Fellowship Program at the University of Arizona School of Medicine, explained that insulin resistance occurs when cells stop responding to insulin.

“So what the insulin receptor does is, every time there’s insulin, [it] It activates the cascade so that glucose can enter the cell,” he said.

“If that receptor is damaged, it can’t activate the cascade and can’t take up glucose,” he continued. [this] All glucose stays outside the cell. ”

When glucose can’t get into cells, blood sugar levels remain high, leading to type 2 diabetes.

Correa warns that overweight or obese people are at greatest risk for insulin resistance.

“Insulin resistance is the first step in the progression to type 2 diabetes,” he said.

“We are just beginning to understand the potential health benefits of timing physical activity,” says van der Velde.

He emphasized that for this study, differences in insulin resistance at the group level were examined.

“So there are a few things we need to understand in order to translate our findings into individual advice,” he continued.

He said one thing is whether adapting daily activity from morning to afternoon or evening actually leads to improved insulin sensitivity.

“We also don’t know if changing the timing of activities will benefit everyone,” van der Velde said.

“Maybe morning people actually benefit more from doing physical activity earlier in the day,” he added. I think we should await future research to translate our findings into clinical messages.”

Correa explained that physical activity provides another pathway that does not involve insulin signaling. “So the two ways glucose can enter cells are through the insulin receptor and through exercise,” he said. It helps to

“So whenever you exercise, you allow glucose to enter your cells because it provides energy with exercise, which is how the body has to get energy,” he explained.

According to Correa, it is “a bit controversial” to say that one time is better for exercise than another, “because it is beneficial to exercise at any time of the day.”

He noted that the studies used relatively small groups to discover their findings.

“I think we have to look at it with a grain of salt,” he warned. It is available in the morning – so it is not advisable for patients to exercise only in the afternoon.”

A new study has found a link between reduced insulin resistance in obese or overweight people and exercising later in the day.

Experts say this doesn’t mean you should only exercise later in the day, as exercise is always beneficial.

They also don’t yet know if everyone can get the same benefits from exercising at night, and more research is needed to find out.