Increasing daily standing time lowers blood sugar and helps prevent diabetes: Study

Medically Reviewed By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Published On 2021-09-14 04:30 GMT | Update On 2021-09-14 07:03 GMT

Increasing daily standing time lowers blood sugar and helps prevent chronic diseases, finds researchers in a new study.The researchers observed that standing is associated with better insulin sensitivity independently of the amount of daily physical activity or sitting time, fitness level, or overweight. These findings can provide additional insights to aid in development of interventions, policies and guidelines for type 2 diabetes prevention in inactive high-risk populations.

The study has been published in Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

This association has not been shown before. These findings further encourage replacing a part of daily sitting time with standing, especially if physical activity recommendations are not met," says Doctoral Candidate Taru Garthwaite from the University of Turku.

Turku PET Centre and UKK institute, researchers investigated the associations between insulin resistance and sedentary behaviour, physical activity and fitness in inactive working-age adults with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Insulin is a key hormone in energy metabolism and blood sugar regulation. Normal insulin function in the body may be disturbed by e.g. overweight, leading to decreased insulin sensitivity and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In a Finnish collaborative study of Turku PET Centre and UKK institute, the researchers noticed that standing is associated with better insulin sensitivity. Increasing the daily standing time may therefore help prevent chronic diseases.

Lifestyle has a strong impact on insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes, and regular physical activity is known to have an important role in the prevention of these issues. However, so far, little is known about the impact of sedentary behaviour, breaks in sitting, and standing on insulin resistance.

The study also emphasises the importance of healthy body composition on metabolic health. The results show that increased body fat percentage was a more important factor in terms of insulin sensitivity than physical activity, fitness, or the amount of time spent sitting. Standing, on the other hand, was associated with insulin sensitivity independently, irrespective of body composition.

"Regular exercise is well known to be beneficial for health. It seems that physical activity, fitness, and sedentary behaviour are also connected to insulin metabolism, but indirectly, through their effect on body composition," Taru Garthwaite explains.

Causal effects cannot yet be predicted based on this study, but according to Garthwaite, the results suggest that increasing daily standing time may help in prevention of lifestyle diseases if physical activity recommendations are not met.

Next, the researchers aim to investigate how changes in daily activity and sedentariness impact cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors and metabolism by comparing two groups in an intervention study of a longer duration.

"Our aim is to study if reducing daily sitting time by an hour has an impact on energy metabolism and fat accumulation in liver and the whole body, for example, in addition to insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation," says Garthwaite.

Journal Reference:

Taru Garthwaite, Tanja Sjöros, Mikko Koivumäki, Saara Laine, Henri Vähä-Ypyä, Maria Saarenhovi, Petri Kallio, Eliisa Löyttyniemi, Harri Sievänen, Noora Houttu, Kirsi Laitinen, Kari Kalliokoski, Tommi Vasankari, Juhani Knuuti, Ilkka Heinonen. Standing is associated with insulin sensitivity in adults with metabolic syndrome. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2021; DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2021.08.009

Article Source : University of Turku

Disclaimer: This website is primarily for healthcare professionals. The content here does not replace medical advice and should not be used as medical, diagnostic, endorsement, treatment, or prescription advice. Medical science evolves rapidly, and we strive to keep our information current. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us at corrections@medicaldialogues.in. Read our Correction Policy here. Nothing here should be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not endorse any healthcare advice that contradicts a physician's guidance. Use of this site is subject to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Advertisement Policy. For more details, read our Full Disclaimer here.

NOTE: Join us in combating medical misinformation. If you encounter a questionable health, medical, or medical education claim, email us at factcheck@medicaldialogues.in for evaluation.

Dr Kartikeya Kohli

Dr Kartikeya Kohli is an Internal Medicine Consultant at Sitaram Bhartia Hospital in Delhi with super speciality training in Nephrology. He has worked with various eminent hospitals like Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Sir Gangaram Hospital. He holds an MBBS from Kasturba Medical College Manipal, DNB Internal Medicine, Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research and Business Development, Fellow DNB Nephrology, MRCP and ECFMG Certification. He has been closely associated with India Medical Association South Delhi Branch and Delhi Medical Association and has been organising continuing medical education programs on their behalf from time to time. Further he has been contributing medical articles for their newsletters as well. He is also associated with electronic media and TV for conduction and presentation of health programs. He has been associated with Medical Dialogues for last 3 years and contributing articles on regular basis.

Comments Policy

Our comments section is governed by our Comments Policy . By posting comments at Medical Dialogues you automatically agree with our Comments Policy , Terms And Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Increasing daily standing time lowers blood sugar and helps prevent diabetes: Study

Similar News

Asporin Promising Protective Target in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Identifies New Multiomics Study

Tirofiban Boosts Reperfusion Success and Reduces Disability in Stroke Patients, RESCUE BT Trial Finds

High Disease Activity Linked to Lower Cervical Cancer Screening Rates in Women with SLE, Study Finds

Bristol Myers Squibb gets positive CHMP opinion for Opdivo plus Yervoy to treat adult with MSI-H or dMMR metastatic Colorectal Cancer

GLP-1 Agonists: Game Changer in Treating Obesity and Boosting Fertility, Review Reveals

Exposure to Antiseizure Medication Inutero May Lead to Neurodevelopmental Risks in Children: Study Finds

Sacubitril/Valsartan Outperforms ACEI/ARB Therapy in Kidney Recovery for Thrombotic Microangiopathy: JAMA

Ulcerative colitis causally related to male infertility, claims research