Factors Influencing Glucose Response to Exercise Following Oral Glucose Load

PURPOSE: Exercise can reduce postprandial hyperglycemia by increasing contraction-mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscles. However, postprandial exercise does not always have similar effects in all patients. This study aimed to analyze the factors influencing glucose response to exercise following oral glucose load.METHODS: We enrolled 169 adults with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, n = 64) and type 2 diabetes (T2D, n = 105). We measured fingertip capillary blood glucose level at 30-minute intervals over 2-hour after the 75-g oral glucose ingestion. In addition, a single bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise was conducted at 30 minutes after 75-g oral glucose ingestion. We also measured glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), β-cell function (HOMA-β), physical activity level questionnaire and anthropometrics.RESULTS: There was a significant difference in glucose concentration between the IGT and T2D groups (p <.001). Additionally, we found that patients with short diabetes duration (≤1 year) had significantly more decrease in glucose concentration than long diabetes duration (≥10 years) (p <.001). A regression analysis showed that waist circumference, visceral fat area, fasting glucose, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR affected glucose response to exercise following oral glucose load in patients with T2D.CONCLUSIONS: Higher volumes of exercise following an oral glucose load may be necessary for individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) who have a longer disease duration, larger waist circumference, increased visceral fat area, higher HbA1c levels, and elevated HOMA-IR values in order to prevent hyperglycemia.