Summary: For sedentary adults with overweight or obesity, performing moderate to vigorous physical activity in the evening substantially reduces daily blood glucose levels. Researchers report that evening activity produces larger improvements in glucose control than similar activity performed in the morning or afternoon.
These results emphasize the value of precise exercise timing as part of clinical recommendations. Prioritizing evening movement may offer greater benefits for glucose regulation in people with overweight or obesity and could inform future guidance for managing cardiometabolic risk.
Key Facts:
- Evening moderate to vigorous physical activity is linked to lower daily blood glucose in adults with overweight or obesity.
- The study analyzed 186 participants monitored with wrist-worn accelerometers and continuous glucose monitors.
- Timing of exercise matters: concentrating activity in the evening produced the most pronounced improvements in glucose levels.
Source: The Obesity Society
New research shows that moderate to vigorous physical activity performed in the evening is most effective at lowering daily blood glucose in sedentary adults with overweight and obesity, according to a study published in Obesity, the flagship journal of The Obesity Society.
It is well established that moderate to vigorous physical activity improves glucose homeostasis in adults at higher risk of insulin resistance. What has been less clear is whether the time of day when that activity occurs affects day-to-day glucose control. This study addresses that gap by tracking both physical activity and continuous glucose patterns over two weeks.
“Our findings highlight the potential of precision exercise prescription,” said Jonatan R. Ruiz, PhD, professor of physical activity and health at the University of Granada and one of the study’s corresponding authors. He noted that sports and medical professionals should consider not only how much people move, but when during the day they are most likely to gain metabolic benefit.
The data derive from baseline assessments of a multi-center randomized controlled trial conducted in Granada and Pamplona, Spain. That trial was originally designed to examine the effects of time-restricted eating on visceral fat, body composition and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with overweight and obesity.
For the cross-sectional analysis reported here, 186 adults participated. Their average age was 46 years and their mean body mass index was 32.9 kg/m2. Participants were monitored continuously for 14 days using a triaxial accelerometer worn on the non-dominant wrist to capture physical activity, alongside a continuous glucose-monitoring device to record glucose patterns.
Researchers categorized each day according to when participants accumulated their moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Days were labeled as inactive if no MVPA occurred; as morning, afternoon or evening when more than 50% of daily MVPA fell within 6 a.m.–noon, noon–6 p.m., or 6 p.m.–midnight, respectively; and as mixed if no single time window exceeded 50% of the day’s MVPA.
The core finding: when more than half of daily MVPA occurred in the evening, participants showed significantly lower glucose values across the day and night compared with inactive days. These beneficial associations were strongest among participants who already had impaired glucose regulation. The pattern held for both men and women.
Renee J. Rogers, PhD, FACSM, senior scientist at the University of Kansas Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, commented that these results support moving beyond general advice to “move more.” Instead, clinicians and exercise professionals can recommend prioritizing afternoon-to-evening activity when feasible to maximize glucose regulation benefits.
Study authors include Manuel Dote-Montero, Jairo H. Migueles, Alba Camacho-Cardenosa and colleagues from the University of Granada; and Maddi Oses, Jon Echarte Medina, Juan M.A. Alcantara and Idoia Labayen from the Public University of Navarre, with additional affiliations at regional research institutes and national biomedical centers in Spain. Manuel Muñoz-Torres contributed from clinical and research units in Granada. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
About this exercise and obesity research news
Author: Kristin Collins
Source: The Obesity Society
Contact: Kristin Collins – The Obesity Society
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: The study’s findings will appear in Obesity