22 Sept 2023 • A recent study published in Diabetologia has shed light on the relationship between the timing of physical activity and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among adults. Researchers, from Harvard Medical School, analyzed data from 93,095 participants in the UK Biobank who were diabetes-free. The study found that engaging in physical activity during the morning or afternoon was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, while evening exercise did not show the same benefit.

Specifically, each MET hour of physical activity in the morning or afternoon lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, with the highest quintile of morning physical activity showing a 38% lower risk compared to the lowest quintile. Remarkably, the frequency of exercise from day to day did not impact diabetes risk. The findings underscore the importance of considering the timing of physical activity in diabetes prevention strategies and suggest that lifestyle factors like diet and sleep also play a role in this complex relationship, calling for further research to establish causality.

Source: Healio| Read full story