Researchers found that participating in high-intensity aerobic or cardio exercise twice a week helps stabilize blood sugar levels, along with all the other benefits of moving your muscles. Sometimes I love running or sprinting really fast to get my heart rate up and soar through my neighborhood; it just feels exhilarating, and it’s good news for my blood sugar.
Researchers also explored how the timing of moderate to vigorous physical activity impacts insulin resistance.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin resistance is a condition where your body’s cells don’t respond properly and efficiently to the insulin digestive hormone, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes over time, and many health experts consider it a warning sign that you could be on the road to diabetes and blood sugar complications.
Afternoon or morning workouts?
In a study published in the journal Diabetologia, when compared to those who spread their activity throughout the day, those who exercised in the afternoon and evening reduced insulin resistance by a whopping 25%. This study indicates that the intensity and the timing of physical activity are the pivotal factors when it comes to improving insulin resistance, and essentially making your cells more efficient at responding to insulin.
The role of insulin
Every time you eat sugar, your pancreas releases the insulin hormone to help prevent dangerously high blood sugar levels by scuttling the sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells. If your cells aren’t responding properly to that insulin, you end up with those higher blood sugar levels and a higher risk of diabetes to go with it.
It’s important to incorporate healthy lifestyle choices like exercising and lowering your sugar intake, which will, in turn, lower those risks and those blood sugar levels. The study revealed that engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity in the afternoon or evening is the most optimal way to reduce insulin resistance, so it’s time to lace up your running shoes at sunset.
Concluding thoughts
Overall, research shows that staying consistent with your exercise routine improves your overall health, blood sugar, and more, including for those with diabetes. This is the case regardless of what time you exercise or how intensely. Whenever you can get moving, it’s a good idea for your wellness, and you’re more likely to stick to a type of exercise you enjoy.
That being said, there is some research to suggest that afternoon exercise, particularly resistance training, high-intensity interval training, and moderate-to-higher intensity exercise, might be more beneficial in managing glucose variability, which refers to the fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
