Glycemic Control Improved With Exercise in the Afternoon

MONDAY, June 5, 2023 (HealthDay News) — For adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes, bout-related moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (bMVPA) performed in the afternoon is associated with improvements in glycemic control, according to a study published online May 25 in Diabetes Care.

Jingyi Qian, Ph.D., from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined the association of the time of day of bMVPA with changes in glycemic control across four years in adults with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes. The bMVPA timing groups were assigned based on temporal distribution of bMVPA at year 1 among 2,416 participants; groups were recategorized at year 4.

The researchers found that independent of weekly bMVPA volume and intensity, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reduction at year 1 varied among the bMVPA timing groups. The greatest HbA1c reduction was seen for the afternoon group versus the inactive active (−0.22 percent); this reduction was 30 to 50 percent larger than other groups. There was a difference noted in the odds of discontinuation versus maintaining or initiating glucose-lowering medications at year 1 according to bMVPA timing, with the highest odds for the afternoon group (odds ratio, 2.13). No significant changes were seen in HbA1c between year 1 and year 4 for all the year 4 bMVPA timing groups.

“Our findings, together with others, highlight an exciting interdisciplinary research frontier on lifestyle interventions and circadian biology, which holds promise for optimizing treatment efficacy,” the authors write.

One author disclosed ties to Novo Nordisk. Several pharmaceutical and nutrition companies committed to make major contributions to the Look AHEAD Trial.

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