“What time” is the best time for “diabetics” to exercise? Diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a medical condition in which your body doesn’t make enough of the hormone insulin (type 1 diabetes) or can’t use insulin well enough (type 2 diabetes). Insulin plays a key role in removing sugar from your blood and getting it into your cells, where it can be used for energy.
If you have diabetes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that one way you can manage your condition is to get more exercise. Physical activity increases insulin sensitivity and lowers blood sugar levels, which can reduce your risk of nerve damage and related heart disease.
Now, scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Joslin Diabetes Center have published new research in the journal Diabetes Care that suggests people with type 2 diabetes may see the greatest improvements in blood sugar control if they exercise in the afternoon, rather than in the morning or evening.
Exercising in the afternoon may help you control your blood sugar levels better.
This study used data from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) study, a randomized controlled trial comparing how an intensive lifestyle intervention, combined with support and education, might help prevent cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes who are obese or overweight.
For the current study, researchers looked at how exercising at certain times of day influenced blood sugar control.
In total, they included 2,400 people, examining data from the first and fourth years of the Look AHEAD study.
To determine the physical activity level of each participant, everyone wore an accelerometer device on their waist.
When the data was examined, the สมัคร UFABET วันนี้ รับเครดิตฟรีสำหรับสมาชิกใหม่ team found that in the first year, those who did moderate to vigorous activity in the afternoon had the greatest reductions in blood sugar levels.
This same group maintained the observed reduced blood sugar levels at year four.
What’s more, those who are most active in the afternoon are more likely to be able to stop taking their diabetes medications, thanks to these advances in blood sugar control.
Why is afternoon exercise better? It’s not yet clear why afternoon exercise might be better for
type 2 diabetes, Jingyi Qian, M.D., of the Division of Sleep Disorders and Rhythmology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Roeland Middelbeek, M.D., an assistant researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center and co-authors, told Healthline.
However, one common hypothesis is that the circadian rhythm system may play a role.
“This circadian rhythm system regulates many physiological functions in our bodies. Which may play a role in the time-specific benefits of physical activity,” Qian and Middlebeek said.
Another hypothesis is that behavioral factors. Such as the fasting/postprandial state or the sleep-wake cycle, may contribute to the observed benefits.
“For example, post-prandial physical activity, which occurred most frequently. After lunch in the afternoon group, is an effective strategy for managing post-prandial glucose changes in patients with type 2 diabetes,” the pair noted.
Why Exercise Is Good for Diabetes Management
In General While the benefits were found specifically for afternoon exercise. The authors noted that exercising at any time of day can be beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes. Not only can it improve blood sugar levels, it can also help with weight management to some extent, they said.
Dr. Kathleen Dungan, professor of internal medicine and interim director of the division of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Ohio State University, agreed, calling exercise “critically important” for people with diabetes.
“Exercise can rapidly lower glucose levels … by moving excess glucose into skeletal muscle,” she explained. “What’s more, the immediate effects of exercise can last for hours after the activity is complete.”
Exercise has also been linked to lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels, Dungan says. Which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events or death. As an added bonus, it can improve your mood and sense of well-being.
How much exercise is needed to better control diabetes?
The amount of exercise you need will depend on the intensity of your workout. Says Amanda Beaver, MS, RDN, LD, a health nutritionist at Houston Methodist Wellness Services. But for most people living with diabetes, she recommends 150 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity per week.
“In the world of fitness, moderate exercise is when we can talk. But not sing (try it yourself next time you work out),” she advises.