Timing of Exercise Significant for Obesity, Metabolic Impairment

THURSDAY, June 20, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- For sedentary adults with obesity/overweight and metabolic impairments, the timing of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is significant, with a beneficial effect on glucose homeostasis for accumulation of more MVPA in the evening, according to a study published online June 10 in Obesity.

Antonio Clavero-Jimeno, from the University of Granada in Spain, and colleagues examined the impact of lifestyle MVPA timing on daily glycemic control in 186 sedentary adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic impairments. During a 14-day period, MVPA and glucose patterns were simultaneously monitored. Each day was classified as inactive if no MVPA was accumulated; as morning, afternoon, or evening if >50 percent of the MVPA minutes were accumulated between 0600 and 1200, 1200 and 1800, or 1800 and 0000 hours, respectively; or mixed if none of the time windows accounted for >50 percent of the daily MVPA.

The researchers found that compared with being inactive, accumulating >50 percent of total MVPA in the evening was associated with lower 24-hour, diurnal, and nocturnal mean glucose levels (mean differences, −1.26, −1.10, and −2.16 mg/dL, respectively). In participants with impaired glucose regulation, this association was stronger. In both men and women, the pattern of these associations was similar.

"The timing of lifestyle MVPA is significant and ... accumulating most MVPA during the evening is associated with lower glucose levels in adults with overweight/obesity and metabolic impairments," the authors write. "These findings highlight the promising area of MVPA timing as a novel approach to improve metabolic health in people at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases."

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