Diabetes type 2: The best time of the day to exercise to lower high blood sugar – doctor

Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert

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Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition characterised by unstable blood sugar levels. The release of insulin is normally responsible for regulating blood sugar levels, but if you have type 2 diabetes your insulin production is hampered. Fortunately, you can improve the body’s insulin response by making healthy lifestyle interventions, such as increasing the amount of exercise you do.

Knowing when to exercise and what to do to best regulate blood sugar levels can be challenging.

For Doctor Jeff Foster, GP and author of Man Alive, the answer is simple: there is not a best time per se.

But the general rule to abide by is routine, he said.

“You do the same every day and you learn when your sugars are high and low.”

“If you take meds for diabetes, it doesn’t really matter when you train, but I would not fast as it could trigger a low sugar (hypo),” warned Doctor Jeff Foster.

A low blood sugar level, also called hypoglycaemia or a “hypo”, is where the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood drops too low.

What does the research say?

Research suggests the afternoon is a more optimal time to exercise for blood sugar control, but it may depend on the type of exercise you do.

That is the conclusion of a study published in the journal Diabetologia.

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The study aimed to determine whether exercise training at two distinct times of day would have differing effects on 24-hour blood glucose levels in men with type 2 diabetes.

Eleven men with type 2 diabetes underwent a randomised crossover trial – a study that involves assessing two or more interventions.

The trial involved two weeks of either morning or afternoon high-intensity interval training (HIIT) (three sessions/week), followed by a two-week wash-out period and a subsequent period of the opposite training regimen.

A wash-out period describes the length of time that someone enrolled in a trial must not receive any treatment before receiving the trial’s experimental therapy.

Continuous glucose monitor (CGM)-based data were obtained.

The researchers found that afternoon HIIT was more “efficacious” than morning HIIT at improving blood glucose in men with type 2 diabetes.

Strikingly, morning HIIT had an acute, deleterious effect, increasing blood glucose.

However, studies of longer training regimens are warranted to establish the persistence of this adverse effect.

“Our data highlight the importance of optimising the timing of exercise when prescribing it as treatment for type 2 diabetes,” the researchers concluded.

What is HIIT training?

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. It’s a great way to get your daily dose of exercise in one short and intense burst.

It refers to any type of exercise that you do for a short amount of time, at maximum or near maximum effort, with a rest period after, explains Bupa.

“HIIT can be adapted to suit all ages and fitness levels and is generally very safe when done correctly.”

Type 2 diabetes – key symptoms

According to the NHS, many people have type 2 diabetes without realising. This is because symptoms do not necessarily make you feel unwell.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes include:

• Peeing more than usual, particularly at night
• Feeling thirsty all the time
• Feeling very tired
• Losing weight without trying to
• Itching around your penis or vagina, or repeatedly getting thrush
• Cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
• Blurred vision.

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