According to a recent study, people with type 2 diabetes should exercise in the afternoon rather than the morning to control their blood sugar.
The Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, said co-corresponding author Dr. Jingyi Qian’s research “has shown that adults with type 2 diabetes had the greatest improvement in glucose control when they were most active in the afternoon.”
We already knew that physical activity is good for us, but our study provides new insight into the possibility that timing of action may also be significant.
More than 2,400 people with type 2 diabetes who were overweight and wore waist accelerometers to record their physical activity were studied by a team of researchers from Brigham and Joslin Diabetes Center. The accelerometers measure vibration or acceleration of motion.
Researchers examined data from the study’s first year and discovered that people who engaged in “moderate-to-vigorous” physical exercise in the afternoon experienced the highest drop in blood glucose levels.
Brisk walking, using a power lawn mower, and casual badminton are examples of “moderate” activity, whereas hiking, jogging quickly, playing basketball or soccer, or cycling at 14 to 16 mph are examples of “vigorous” activity, according to Harvard’s School of Public Health.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if you can talk but not sing your favorite song, you are exercising at a moderate aerobic level.
The scientists discovered that those who exercised in the afternoon sustained a decrease in blood glucose levels and had the highest likelihood of being able to discontinue taking glucose-lowering diabetes medication. This information was based on data from the study’s fourth year.
According to the World Health Organization, type 2 diabetes, which is the most prevalent variety of the disease, develops when the body either stops producing enough insulin or becomes resistant to it.
It is primarily found in adults and is linked to advanced age, obesity, familial history, inactivity, and race/ethnicity.
Diabetes patients run the risk of developing consequences like nerve damage, eye and hearing issues, kidney disease, heart disease, and early death.
The authors of the study point out that since sleep or diet weren’t measured, the observational study has some limitations.
Co-corresponding author Dr. Roeland Middelbeek, an assistant researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center, stated that timing “does seem to matter.” “More data and experimental evidence may become available in the future, allowing us to provide patients with more individualized recommendations,”
Being physically active can help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, lower their risk of serious diabetes-related complications like heart disease and kidney failure, as well as improve their general wellbeing, according to Dr. Lucy Chambers, Head of Research Communications at Diabetes UK.
Wherever possible, Chambers, who was not affiliated with the study, highlighted the importance of getting individuals to exercise.
This recent study discovered that type 2 diabetics with regular’moderate-to-vigorous’ physical exercise had lower average blood sugar levels, whether it occurred in the morning, midday, afternoon, or nighttime. Exercise in the afternoon was associated with the highest health benefits, but the reasons for this are unknown, and the most recent research on the best times to exercise is conflicting.
Finding a workout you enjoy and can fit into your routine over time, whether it’s before work, during lunch, or in the evening, is crucial for people with type 2 diabetes, she continued.
