Best Time to Exercise for Lowering Blood Sugar Levels

Research indicates that the timing of exercise significantly impacts blood sugar levels. A study involving 186 adults revealed that engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity in the evening leads to the most substantial reduction in blood glucose, particularly for those overweight, obese, or with sedentary habits. Prioritizing afternoon-to-evening movement is feasible for glucose regulation.

The study

The findings

Struggling to regulate blood sugar? Lifestyle changes, including exercise, may help. But timing is everything. While regular exercise is a good tool to keep glucose levels in check, new research suggests that when you work out could be just as important as how often you do it. A new study conducted by Spanish researchers found that the time of the workout matters if you want to lower blood sugar. The new study is published in Obesity. The news study suggests that exercising at a specific time of day may offer greater benefits for people looking to lower their blood sugar naturally. People with a risk for type 2 diabetes or those struggling with insulin resistance may benefit more from this method. The researchers found that engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity in the evening is good for lowering daily blood sugar levels, with the greatest benefits seen in adults who are overweight, obese, or lead sedentary lifestyles. Though it was known that moderate to vigorous physical activity can enhance glucose homeostasis in adults with overweight and obesity who are at higher risk of developing insulin resistance, little was known about the optimal timing of moderate to vigorous physical activity to improve daily blood glucose control.

\"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 programs they prescribe,\" Jonatan R. Ruiz, PhD, professor of physical activity and health, Department of Physical and Sports Education, Faculty of Sport Sciences-Sport and Health University Research Institute (iMUDS), University of Granada, said in a statement.

To understand the link between physical activity and its impact on blood sugar, the researchers observed 186 adults with an average age of 46 and a body mass index (BMI) of 32.9. The participant wore a device to monitor glucose patterns and physical activity for 14 days. The researchers categorized daily physical activity based on the time of day when it occurred. Days were classified as ‘inactive’ if no moderate to vigorous physical activity was recorded. Otherwise, activity was grouped into four time-based categories: morning (6 a.m. to noon), afternoon (noon to 6 p.m.), evening (6 p.m. to midnight), or mixed if no single time block accounted for more than 50% of the activity.

The study showed that performing more than half of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity in the evening was associated with the greatest reduction in blood glucose levels. This effect was especially pronounced among participants with impaired glucose regulation. \"As the field moves towards individualized 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 prioritize afternoon-to-evening movement when feasible for glucose regulation,\" Renee J. Rogers, PhD, FACSM, senior scientist, Division of Physical Activity and Weight Management, University of Kansas Medical Center, added.