Metabolic effects of 2 days of strict bed rest

To examine the possibility of whether 2 days of strict hospitalized bed rest would alter the metabolic profile (including insulin resistance as calculated by the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index or QUICKI) in both normal subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes in comparison with 2 days of normal activity.

The design of this pilot study was a randomized, crossover protocol that evaluated the effects of strict bed rest versus normal activity in 5 healthy normal subjects and 5 healthy patients with type 2 diabetes. All study participants completed a screening visit for assessment of baseline health.

All 10 study subjects completed the protocol without adverse events. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels as well as several known risk factors for atherosclerosis were unchanged in both the subjects without diabetes and the patients with type 2 diabetes after 2 days of hospitalized bed rest. Insulin resistance demonstrated no significant change during the 48 hours of bed rest when compared with the mean value at baseline.

This study demonstrates that 48 hours of bed rest has no significant effect on insulin resistance or standard metabolic variables in normal subjects and patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, achieving good glucose control in patients hospitalized for a period of 2 days or less does not necessitate early ambulation to prevent an increase in insulin resistance.