Original Study
Exercise Effects on Postprandial Glycemia, Mood, and Sympathovagal Balance in Type 2 Diabetes

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2013.11.026Get rights and content

Abstract

Objectives

To compare the impact of walking with a recreational activity on postprandial glycemia, heart rate variability, and mood state following the dinner meal.

Design

Participants with type 2 diabetes (T2D) participated in 3 trials on different days in random order after ingestion of a standardized dinner meal (300 ± 6 kcals).

Setting

University clinical testing laboratory.

Participants

Twelve participants (9 female, 3 male; 58.7 ± 2.4 years) with uncomplicated T2D not taking insulin or beta-blocker medications.

Intervention

Thirty minutes of self-paced walking on a treadmill (TM), 30 minutes of table tennis played continuously against the iPong robot (TT), and 30 minutes of rest (CON) undertaken 30 minutes after the start of ingestion of the same dinner meal on three occasions within a week.

Measurements

Blood glucose was measured at 30-minute intervals through 180 minutes starting immediately prior to the dinner meal. Profile of Mood States was completed before and immediately following exercise or rest. Sympathovagal balance (heart rate variability) was measured prior to eating and 30 minutes after trial completion.

Results

Compared with TT or CON, TM resulted in significantly lower postprandial blood glucose (P < .05), as well as a greater quantity of physical activity than TT (+72%) or rest (+91%; P < .01). Mean heart rate during TM was significantly greater than during TT (+25.9 beats per minute; P < .01). However, neither mood state nor HRV were significantly different among trials.

Conclusions

Thirty minutes of self-paced walking following the dinner meal may be more effective at lowering postprandial glycemia in T2D than a similar duration of table tennis played continuously against a robot.

Section snippets

Participants

A total of 12 persons (9 female, 3 male) with uncomplicated T2D treated with diet and/or oral antidiabetic medications participated in this investigation. Eleven of the participants were currently taking oral glucose-lowering drugs, and one was controlled with lifestyle only; none were using exogenous insulin. Only persons who were not using beta-blockers were allowed to participate due to that class of medications' potential impact on HRV measures. The study was approved by the university

Results

Characteristics of participants are presented in Table 2. Participants demonstrated a significantly greater quantity of motion during TM than CON (91%, P = .01) and TT (72%, P = .01) (Figure 1). Mean heart rate during TM (122.8 ± 5.4 bpm) was significantly higher than TT (96.9 ± 5.0, P = .05) and CON (69.1 ± 8.4, P = .001). The percentage of age-predicted maximum heart rate during TM (76.4 ± 0.0%) was also significantly higher than both CON (42.9 ± 0.0%) and TT (60.5 ± 0.0%) (P < .05).

Discussion

The present investigation examined the differential effects of 2 different types of physical activity following an identical dinner meal on postprandial glycemia, HRV, and mood state in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Postprandial walking resulted in a significant decrease in plasma glucose immediately following 30 minutes of exercise at a self-selected pace. This finding was, however, followed by a rebound increase in plasma glucose in the TM group 30 minutes after the cessation of exercise

Conclusions

The findings of the current study suggest that 30 minutes of self-paced walking following the dinner meal may be more effective at lowering postprandial glycemia in individuals with T2D than a similar duration of table tennis undertaken against a robot or no activity. We did not, however, find an acute impact of exercise on measures of heart rate variability, suggesting that chronic improvements in HRV found following exercise training do not result from a single bout, which may do little more

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    This investigation was funded by the Old Dominion University Office of Research in Norfolk, Virginia.

    The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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