The Acute Effects of Breaking Up Seated Office Work With Standing or Light-Intensity Walking on Interstitial Glucose Concentration: A Randomized Crossover Trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to examine the acute effects of breaking up seated office work with short bouts of standing or light-intensity walking on postprandial interstitial glucose concentration.
Results Summary
The study found that sitting interrupted by 2 minutes of light-intensity walking every 20 minutes significantly reduced 5-hour interstitial glucose levels by 55.5% compared to uninterrupted sitting. Standing breaks also showed a beneficial effect, though less pronounced than walking, particularly in overweight men.
Population
Middle-aged office workers without metabolic impairment.
Effective Dosage
2 minutes of light-intensity walking every 20 minutes.
Duration
5-hour trial conditions.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
sitting interrupted by 2 minutes of light-intensity walking every 20 minutes | decrease | 5-hour interstitial glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC) | middle-aged office workers | 55.5% | was 55.5% lower | #1 |
regular standing breaks | decrease | postprandial interstitial glucose concentration | overweight men | mean difference -29.6% | suggestion of a beneficial effect | #2 |
regular standing breaks | decrease | postprandial interstitial glucose concentration | middle-aged office workers | - | were not as effective as the walking breaks | #3 |
regularly breaking up prolonged sitting | decrease | postprandial glycemia | middle-aged adults without metabolic impairment | - | lowers | #4 |
BACKGROUND: The aim of this randomized, 3-period, 3-treatment crossover trial was to examine the acute effects of regularly breaking up seated office work with short bouts of standing or light-intensity walking on postprandial interstitial glucose concentration. METHODS: Seventeen middle-aged office workers performed 3 5-hour trial conditions at their workplace in a random order: 1) uninterrupted sitting, 2) sitting interrupted by 2 minutes of standing every 20 minutes, and 3) sitting interrupted by 2 minutes of light-intensity walking every 20 minutes. Participants consumed 2 standardized test drinks at the start of each trial condition and an iPro2 continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) recorded average interstitial glucose concentration every 5 minutes for the duration of the study. RESULTS: The 5-hour interstitial glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC) was 55.5% lower after sitting interrupted by light-intensity walking compared with after uninterrupted sitting (95% CI, -104.2% to -6.8%). There was also a suggestion of a beneficial effect of regular standing breaks, particularly in overweight men, although they were not as effective as the walking breaks (mean difference [95% CI], -29.6% [-73.9% to 14.7%]). CONCLUSIONS: Regularly breaking up prolonged sitting lowers postprandial glycemia in middle-aged adults without metabolic impairment.