January 5, 2010 – Walking after eating a high-carbohydrate meal reduces increased blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia), according to a small Norwegian clinical trial1. Hyperglycemia is a known risk factor for metabolic syndrome, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders.
The researchers conducted the trial in 14 healthy women over the age of 50. Participants walked slowly, at their own pace – for 15 or 40 minutes – immediately after eating a high-carbohydrate meal: a bowl of cornflake cereal with milk. They also engaged in sedentary activities (control test), such as reading, writing, talking on the phone or working at the computer.
According to the results, slow walking, compared to sedentary activities, had the effect of limiting the increase in blood sugar. And this effect was proportional to the duration of the walk: blood sugar was better controlled after walking 40 minutes than during a 15-minute walk.
The 40-minute walk had effects comparable to those of conventional hypoglycemic drugs, such as metformin, alpha-glucosidases, thiasolidinedones or sulfonylureas, the study authors say.
Although this is a preliminary trial, researchers believe that slow walking after a meal may help prevent metabolic disorders, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
1. Nygaard H, Tomten SE, Hÿstmark AT. Slow postmeal walking reduces postprandial glycemia in middle-aged women. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 34 (6): 1087-1092 (2009). Full Text : National Research Council of Canada.
