Interrupting prolonged sitting with repeated chair stands or short walks reduces postprandial insulinemia in healthy adult

Abstract

We determined if interrupting prolonged sitting with practical “activity snacks” could reduce postprandial glycemia and insulinemia in healthy adults. Fourteen participants (7 males, 7 females; 24 ± 5 yr; 25 ± 5 kg/m2; 40 ± 8 mL/kg/min; 7,033 ± 2,288 steps/day) completed three 7.5-h trials in a randomized order consisting of uninterrupted sitting (SIT), sitting with intermittent (every 30 min) walking (WALK; 2 min at 3.1 mph), or sitting with intermittent squats (SQUAT; 15 chair stands with calf raise). Mixed-macronutrient liquid meals provided 20% (“breakfast”) and 30% (“lunch”) of daily energy needs to mimic Western meal patterns. Blood samples were obtained for analysis of postprandial plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, and skeletal muscle biopsy samples were collected to measure markers of contraction- and insulin-mediated glucose uptake signaling. Postprandial glucose and insulin did not differ across conditions following breakfast. After lunch, peak insulin concentration was lower in SQUAT (52 ± 27, P < 0.01) and WALK (62 ± 35, P < 0.05) compared with SIT (79 ± 43 μIU/mL). The insulin incremental area under the curve (iAUC) 1 h following lunch was 37 and 29% lower in SQUAT (P < 0.01) and WALK (P < 0.05) compared with SIT, respectively; however, 3-h insulin iAUC was reduced in SQUAT only (24% vs. SIT, P < 0.05). The 3-h insulin:glucose iAUC was reduced following lunch in both SQUAT (30%) and WALK (23%) compared with SIT (P < 0.05). Phosphorylation of AKTThr308, AKTSer473, and AS160Ser318 was not different between conditions (P > 0.05). Interrupting prolonged sitting with short walks or repeated chair stands reduces postprandial insulinemia in healthy adults. Our results may have implications for mitigating cardiometabolic disease risk in adults who engage in periods of prolonged sitting.