Evening workouts best for lowering blood sugar in adults with overweight and obesity
Recent investigations have shown that exercising in the evening can significantly decrease daily blood sugar levels in inactive adults who have overweight or obesity. This finding was reported in a study published in the journal Obesity, the flagship publication of The Obesity Society (TOS).
The study reveals that while the benefits of moderate to vigorous physical activity on glucose homeostasis are well acknowledged for adults at increased risk of insulin resistance, the specific timing that maximises these benefits had not been determined until now.
Professor Jonatan R. Ruiz of the University of Granada, who specialises in physical activity and health within the Faculty of Sport Sciences-Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), underscored the significance of timing in exercise routines. “Our results highlight the importance of the field of precision exercise prescription. In clinical practice, certified sports and medical personnel should consider the optimal timing of the day to enhance the effectiveness of the exercise and physical activity programmes they prescribe,” stated Ruiz. He led the research alongside predoctoral researcher Antonio Clavero-Jimeno.
The research utilised baseline data from a multi-centre randomised controlled trial carried out in Granada and Pamplona, Spain. The study aimed to examine the impact of time-restricted eating on visceral adipose tissue, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk factors among adults with obesity and overweight.
Involving 186 participants with an average age of 46 years and a body mass index of 32.9 kg/m2, the study monitored physical activity and glucose levels simultaneously over a 14-day period. This was achieved using a triaxial accelerometer and a continuous glucose-monitoring device.
Researchers categorised the volume of physical activity into periods: morning, afternoon, and evening. Activities were assigned to a period if over 50% of exercise was done within those times, with evening defined as 6 p.m. to midnight.
The findings indicated that engaging in more than 50% of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity in the evening led to lower glucose levels throughout the day and night, and these benefits were particularly pronounced in individuals with impaired glucose regulation. This pattern was consistent across both genders.
Renee J. Rogers, PhD, a senior scientist at the University of Kansas Medical Center, highlighted the implications for tailored exercise advice. “As the field moves towards individualised exercise prescriptions for different chronic conditions, this study now provides additional insights beyond just telling patients to ‘move more,’ but instead to move as often as possible and to prioritise afternoon-to-evening movement when feasible for glucose regulation,” said Rogers, who was not involved in the study.
The study also featured contributions from Manuel Dote-Montero, Jairo H. Migueles, Alba Camacho-Cardenosa from the University of Granada; Maddi Oses, Jon Echarte Medina, Juan M.A. Alcantara, Idoia Labayen from the Public University of Navarre and the Navarra Institute for Health Research (ldiSNA), and Manuel Muñoz-Torres from ibs.GRANADA and the University Hospital San Cecilio Clinic.