Postprandial light physical activity blunts the blood glucose increase

Background. The magnitude and duration of postprandial blood glucose elevation seem to be important risk factors for diabetes Type 2 and coronary heart disease. Aim. To investigate whether post-meal light physical activity might reduce the blood glucose increase. Methods. Nine young (18–25 years) and 10 middle-aged (45–65 years) sedentary women, and 10 young and 10 middle-aged trained women participated in a meal/physical activity trial. Commencing after an overnight fast, each subject participated in two experiments, carried out on separate days: Day 1, the subjects were given cornflakes (1 g carbohydrate per kg body weight) to be ingested during 15 min. Blood glucose was determined while resting, before meal, and each 15 min for the next 120 min. Day 2 was similar to Day 1 but included light bicycling exercise for 30 min after finishing the meal. Results. In all trials, irrespective of age and training condition, light bicycling for 30 min after the carbohydrate meal blunted the rise in blood glucose. Conclusion. The results demonstrate an acute blood glucose reducing effect of light physical activity and of a magnitude similar to that obtained by hypoglycemic drugs, even after intake of a large dose of high glycemic food.