Evening Exercise Regimen Enhances Blood Sugar Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

In an examination of the Look AHEAD project, researchers from the Brigham and Joslin Diabetes Centre discovered that participants who engaged in physical activity in the afternoon had lower blood sugar levels than those who were most active at other times of the day. Over 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, and between 90 and 95 percent of them have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can be managed through lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

Data from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study, a randomized controlled trial that compared an intensive lifestyle intervention with diabetes support and education in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity, was used in a new study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and Joslin Diabetes Center, a part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, to track the development of cardiovascular disease over time. The purpose of this study was to determine whether participating in physical activity at specific times of the day resulted in better control of blood glucose levels. Their discoveries propose patients with type 2 diabetes who were genuinely dynamic in the early evening had the biggest upgrades following one year in the preliminary. Diabetes Care has published the team’s findings.

Co-corresponding author Jingyi Qian, PhD, of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, stated, “In this study, we shown that adults with type 2 diabetes had the greatest improvement in glucose control when they were most active in the afternoon.” Our study provides a fresh perspective on the possibility that the timing of physical activity may also play a role.

As a means of controlling blood glucose levels, doctors advise diabetics to engage in regular physical activity. People with type 2 diabetes who have high blood glucose levels run the risk of developing kidney disease, impaired vision, and heart disease.

The team looked at the physical activity data from the Look AHEAD study’s first and fourth years, which came from over 2,400 people. A waist accelerometry recording device was worn by study participants to record their physical activity. When the Brigham and Joslin team looked at the data from the first year, they found that people had the greatest reductions in blood glucose levels when they did moderate-to-vigorous exercise in the afternoon. When the data from year 4 were compared, the afternoon group still had lower blood glucose levels. Additionally, the afternoon group had the highest likelihood of quitting their diabetes and glucose-lowering medications.

The Brigham and Joslin team acknowledges the limitations of their investigation; For instance, their research is observational and does not take into account factors like diet and sleep.

The team may experimentally test their findings in subsequent studies to investigate the underlying mechanisms that may explain how activity time affects blood glucose control. The team may be able to offer specific patient recommendations for physical activity based on this.

“Timing appears to issue,” said co-relating creator Roeland Middelbeek, MD, associate examiner at Joslin Diabetes Center. ” We may have additional experimental and data evidence in the future to provide patients with more individualized recommendations.