Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Apr 14;16(8):1170.
doi: 10.3390/nu16081170.

Exercise Prescription for Postprandial Glycemic Management

Alessio Bellini  1 , Alessandro Scotto di Palumbo  1 , Andrea Nicolò  1 , Ilenia Bazzucchi  1 , Massimo Sacchetti  1
Affiliations
Review

Exercise Prescription for Postprandial Glycemic Management

Alessio Bellini et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

The detrimental impacts of postprandial hyperglycemia on health are a critical concern, and exercise is recognized a pivotal tool in enhancing glycemic control after a meal. However, current exercise recommendations for managing postprandial glucose levels remain fairly broad and require deeper clarification. This review examines the existing literature aiming to offer a comprehensive guide for exercise prescription to optimize postprandial glycemic management. Specifically, it considers various exercise parameters (i.e., exercise timing, type, intensity, volume, pattern) for crafting exercise prescriptions. Findings predominantly indicate that moderate-intensity exercise initiated shortly after meals may substantially improve glucose response to a meal in healthy individuals and those with type 2 diabetes. Moreover, incorporating short activity breaks throughout the exercise session may provide additional benefits for reducing glucose response.

Keywords: activity breaks; diabetes; exercise timing; exercise type; exercise volume; post-meal exercise; postprandial glycemia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
General recommendations for postprandial exercise prescription for post-meal glucose management.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ceriello A., Ihnat M.A. ‘Glycaemic Variability’: A New Therapeutic Challenge in Diabetes and the Critical Care Setting. Diabet. Med. 2010;27:862–867. doi: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2010.02967.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Færch K., Alssema M., Mela D.J., Borg R., Vistisen D. Relative Contributions of Preprandial and Postprandial Glucose Exposures, Glycemic Variability, and Non-Glycemic Factors to HbA 1c in Individuals with and without Diabetes. Nutr. Diabetes. 2018;8:38. doi: 10.1038/s41387-018-0047-8. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Standl E., Schnell O., Ceriello A. Postprandial Hyperglycemia and Glycemic Variability. Diabetes Care. 2011;34:S120–S127. doi: 10.2337/dc11-s206. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Monnier L., Colette C. Contributions of Fasting and Postprandial Glucose to Hemoglobin A1c. Endocr. Pract. 2006;12:42–46. doi: 10.4158/EP.12.S1.42. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Monnier L., Colette C., Owens D.R. Glycemic Variability: The Third Component of the Dysglycemia in Diabetes. Is It Important? How to Measure It? J. Diabetes Sci. Technol. 2008;2:1094–1100. doi: 10.1177/193229680800200618. - DOI - PMC - PubMed