- Researchers are reporting that people with type 2 diabetes may reap more benefits by exercising in the afternoon.
- In a new study, the researchers reported that participants who exercised later in the day achieved better results in terms of blood glucose levels.
- They said they aren’t sure yet why afternoon exercise may be more beneficial, but it may be because of better sleep patterns and healthier eating habits.
Doctors have long extolled the benefits of exercise to help people with type 2 diabetes manage the chronic disease and reduce their risk of health complications
Now, a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care suggests that what time of day those with type 2 diabetes exercise helps determine just how much it benefits them.
In the study, researchers reported that exercising in the afternoon provided the most dramatic results in controlling blood glucose levels.
“These are very exciting findings because we’ve known that physical activity is beneficial, but what our study adds is a new understanding that timing of activity may be important too,” said Jingyi Qian, PhD, a study co-author and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts’ Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
A team of researchers, including some from Brigham and Harvard’s Joslin Diabetes Center, analyzed physical activity data at one year and four years among 2,400 people who were classified as overweight and had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Each of the participants wore a device that measured physical activity.
The participants had been part of the
The researchers determined that those who engaged in “moderate-to-vigorous” physical activity in the afternoon had the greatest reduction in blood glucose levels…
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