Positive impact of a 10-min walk immediately after glucose intake on postprandial glucose levels

Abstract

We aimed to compare the effect of a 10-min walk immediately after glucose ingestion (10-min walk condition) on glycemic control to that of a 30-min walk, 30 min postingestion (30-min walk condition). In a randomized, crossover, counterbalanced trial with three (control, 10-min walk, 30-min walk) conditions, twelve healthy young adults (6 females) walked at a comfortable speed during the walking conditions (control condition = rest) after glucose ingestion (75 g). The walking conditions yielded significantly lower 2-hour glucose areas under the curve (10-min walk = 15607 ± 702, 30-min walk = 15732 ± 731, control = 16605 ± 745 mg·min/dL) and mean blood glucose levels (10-min walk = 127.9 ± 19.4, 30-min walk = 128.9 ± 5, control = 135.8 ± 20.5 mg/dL) than did the control condition (p < 0.05, d = 0.712-0.898). The 10-min walk condition (164.3 ± 8.9 mg/dL) resulted in a significantly lower peak glucose level than the control condition did (181.9 ± 8.4 mg/dL, p = 0.028, d = 0.731) despite no significant difference between the 30-min walk (175.8 ± 9.6 mg/dL) and control (p = 0.184, d = 0.410) conditions. A brief 10-min walk immediately after a meal appears to be an effective and feasible approach for the management of hyperglycemia.