- Researchers in Europe analyzed data to see if breaks in sedentary activity can affect insulin resistance.
- The researchers included middle-aged participants from the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study and examined their liver fat content and insulin resistance along with timing of physical activity.
- The researchers found no connection between breaks in sedentary activity and reduced insulin resistance, but they did find a possible connection between the timing of exercise and insulin resistance.
- While exercising in the morning didn’t reduce insulin resistance, the researchers found that exercising in the afternoon or evening may be beneficial.
According to the World Health Organization, obesity rates have tripled worldwide since 1975. The connection between obesity and insulin resistance is two-way. Insulin resistance often develops due to being overweight or obese, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
Since type 2 diabetes can be an expensive disease to treat, contribute to many health problems, and even be fatal, researchers are interested in learning about different ways to improve insulin resistance.
Exercise is an important aspect of health. Previous studies have shown that it can improve insulin resistance. In a new study published in diabetology (the diary of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes), the researchers found a connection between the timing of exercise and insulin resistance.
The beta cells of the pancreas produce insulin, a hormone created by the body that is responsible for regulating blood sugar levels.
Some medical conditions can affect the body’s ability to produce or respond well to insulin, including type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes type 1 occurs when a person’s body produces little or no insulin. Doctors often diagnose this form of diabetes at a younger age, and there is no cure.
Someone who develops insulin resistance may be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
This form of diabetes is most common in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 diabetes is also most prevalent in people who are overweight or obese, and can be controlled with medication, diet, and exercise.
Unlike type 1 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes can go into remission with lifestyle changes in some cases, including substantial weight loss.
The researchers examined data from the Netherlands Obesity Epidemiology Cohort Study, which collected data from 6,671 people aged 45 to 65 between 2008 and 2012.
Some of the data collected included BMI, fasting and after-meal blood glucose and insulin samples, and MRIs of people who might be imaged. Additionally, 955 participants wore activity monitors for 4 days.
From the group that used activity monitors, the researchers narrowed the group of participants to 775 participants with an average age of 56 years. The composition of the group was 42% men and 58% women, with an average BMI of 26.2.
By examining data from activity monitors, the researchers divided daily periods into three segments: 6:00 am to 12:00 pm (morning), 12:00 am to 6:00 pm (afternoon); and 6 pm to 12 am (night). They excluded the hours from 12 am to 6 am
For each of the 6-hour periods, the researchers looked at the different levels of activity recorded by the heart rate monitors.
After analyzing the collected data, the researchers found no relationship between breaks in sedentary activity and reduced insulin resistance. However, they did find an association between insulin resistance and the time of day the participants performed. moderate to vigorous physical activityas recorded by activity monitors.
They found no difference in MVPA and reduced insulin resistance in the morning segment of the data.
The researchers also examined liver fat captured on MRI scans and noted that the number of breaks in sedentary time did not affect liver fat content.
“Further studies should assess whether the timing of physical activity is indeed important for the development of type 2 diabetes,” the authors wrote.
Dr Michael Sagnerpresident of the European Society for Preventive Medicinetalked with Today’s medical news about the study findings.
“It is certainly timely to investigate the chronobiological effects of exercise,” said Dr. Sagner. “The timing of exercise is a relatively unexplored field in human studies and needs further study.”
Noting that one of the study’s weaknesses is the limited 4-day window in which participants were followed, Dr. Sagner said more research is needed “whether certain types of activity provide more health benefits when done during specific times of the day.
“The present study cannot lead to any change in the current recommendations. Physical activity is essential for health and disease prevention and should be incorporated into the weekly routine, regardless of the time throughout the day.
– Dr. Michael Sagner
Dr Ishita Patela Texas Diabetes and Endocrinology board-certified endocrinologist, also spoke with MNT about the study Dr. Patel also thought that the timing of exercise to reduce insulin resistance needs more research.
“The study data analyzed was over a short period of time: four days,” Dr. Patel noted. “It would be interesting to assess liver fat and insulin resistance over a prolonged period of time, and also [its] relevance to populations of interest, such as prediabetics and diabetics.
As Dr. Sagner also mentioned, Dr. Patel thought that the point of exercise is to make it part of the routine rather than focus on the moment.
“The vast majority of people are so busy that finding time to exercise regularly is a challenge. Similar to how we advise on diet, I believe consistency with exercise should be encouraged rather than adding the additional challenge of finding the ‘perfect time’ to exercise.”
– Dr. Ishita Patel
