Acute Effect of Aerobic Exercise Performed at Different Times of Day on Glucose Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Costas Chryssanthopoulos,
Michaella Alexandrou,
Maria Horianopoulou,
Ioannis Alexandros Stogios,
Paraskevas Ioannou,
Chrysoula Stavrou,
Marina Chatzea,
Despoina Maria Karavolia,
Antonios Smailis,
Ioannis Lambropoulos,
Elias Zacharogiannis,
Maria Maridaki,
Michael Koutsilieris,
Anastassios Philippou
Affiliations
Costas Chryssanthopoulos
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Michaella Alexandrou
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Maria Horianopoulou
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Ioannis Alexandros Stogios
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Paraskevas Ioannou
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Chrysoula Stavrou
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Marina Chatzea
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Despoina Maria Karavolia
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Antonios Smailis
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Ioannis Lambropoulos
Biomedicin, Diagnostic and Research Laboratories, 15124 Marousi, Greece
Elias Zacharogiannis
Department of Sports Medicine and Biology of Physical Activity, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 17237 Athens, Greece
Maria Maridaki
Department of Sports Medicine and Biology of Physical Activity, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 17237 Athens, Greece
Michael Koutsilieris
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Anastassios Philippou
Department of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
AIM: There is some evidence to suggest that exercise in the evening, compared with exercise in the morning, has a more beneficial impact on glycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to examine a possible acute effect of aerobic exercise performed at different times of day on blood glucose levels during and after exercise in patients with T2D. MATERIAL & METHOD: Eight male T2D patients (61.8 ± 6.9 yrs, 27.7 ± 3.1 kg/m2, HbA1c: 6.5 ± 1.1%; mean ± SD), who did not receive insulin, performed 60-min cycling at about 75% maximal heart rate (HRmax) either at 10:30 (Morning-M), or at 17:30 (Evening-E), or 30-min cycling at 10:30 and 30-min cycling at 17:30 (ME). A control condition (C) was also included where volunteers did not exercise but had their blood glucose measured at day-time intervals similar to the time intervals of the three exercise trials. Two days before each condition no physical activity was allowed, while the day before and on the day of each trial participants controlled their diet. RESULTS: Compared to resting levels, blood glucose at the end of exercise decreased at similar levels in M (20 ± 12%), E (28 ± 14%), in the morning of ME (21 ± 10%) and in the evening of ME (26 ± 19%) (p > 0.05). Also, heart rate, blood lactate and rate of perceived exertion responses during exercise were similar between the 3 exercise conditions. Mean area under the blood glucose-time curve over the two-hour post-exercise period in exercise trials, and at similar time intervals in C, was different only between the morning in C (15,173 ± 1830 mg/dL•120 min) and the evening in ME (11,681 ± 1526 mg/dL•120 min, p = 0.045). In addition, overnight fasting serum glucose the morning after each trial was similar between conditions (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: No acute effect of cycling at about 75% HRmax was observed on glycemia in patients with T2D when exercise was performed at different times of day.
