Responses to oral glucose challenge differ by physical activity volume and intensity: A pilot study

Abstract

Background: One-hour postprandial hyperglycemia is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity (PA) has short-term beneficial effects on post-meal glucose response. This study compared the oral glucose tolerance test results of 3 groups of people with habitually different levels of PA. Methods: Thirty-one adults without diabetes (age 25.9 ± 6.6 years; body mass index 23.8 ± 3.8 kg/m2; mean ± SD) were recruited and divided into 3 groups based on self-reported PA volume and intensity: low activity 0.05). The groups were significantly different in terms of baseline glucose level (p = 0.003) and, marginally, for gender (p = 0.053) and BMI (p = 0.050). There was a statistically significant effect of PA on the 1-h postprandial glucose results (p = 0.029), with differences between very active and low activity groups (p = 0.008) but not between the moderately active and low activity groups (p = 0.360), even when baseline glucose level and gender differences were accounted for. For incremental area under the curve there was no significant effect of activity group once gender and body fat percentage had been accounted for (p = 0.401). Those in the low activity group took 15 min longer to reach peak glucose level than those in the very active group (p = 0.012). Conclusion: The results suggest that high levels of PA have a beneficial effect on postprandial blood glucose profiles when compared to low and moderate levels of activity.

Keywords

• Blood glucose response
• Incremental area under the curve
• Oral glucose tolerance test
• Physical activity
• Time to peak
• Type 2 diabetes