Effect of Single, Accumulated, and Conventional Walking on Glucose Level, Aerobic Capacity, Fatigue, and Quality of Life in Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Trial

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of different walking protocols on various physiological and psychological factors in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Materials and methods: In this randomized study, 45 individuals with T2D, aged 55–65 years, with diabetes duration between 1 and 10 years were recruited. They were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: single walking (SW), accumulated walking (AW), or conventional walking (CW). The primary outcome measure was fasting blood glucose (FBG) while secondary outcomes assessed were 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), fatigue, and quality of life (QoL). Intervention was given for 6 weeks. Intra-group changes were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, while inter-group differences were evaluated with the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: 42 participants completed the study. The baseline data showed non-significant difference across the groups for age and duration of diabetes. FBG showed a minor reduction in the SW (12%) and AW (15.5%) groups, while it increased in the CW group (2.5%). The 6MWD improved significantly in the SW (21.3%, p = 0.003) and AW (21%, p = 0.008) groups, but decreased in the CW (9.5%) group. Fatigue decreased in the SW (4.5%, p = 0.027) and AW (4.8%, p = 0.003) groups, while it slightly increased in the CW (0.5%) group. QoL improved in the SW (2.3%, p = 0.016) and AW (4.3%, p = 0.008) groups but decreased in the CW (1.78%) group. Post-hoc analysis showed significant differences in 6MWD (p = 0.010) and QoL (p = 0.008) between the AW and CW groups. Conclusions: SW and AW showed similar effects on glucose levels, aerobic capacity, fatigue, and QoL. However, AW is more effective than CW in enhancing aerobic capacity and QoL.