Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Randomized Controlled Trial to Study the Acute Effects of Strength Exercise on Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Adults
Published on: December 1, 2023
Heart rate recovery after exercise and incidence of type 2 diabetes in men
Sae Young Jae1, Mercedes R Carnethon, Kevin S Heffernan
1Department of Sports Informatics, University of Seoul, 90 Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-743, South Korea. syjae@uos.ac.kr
Objectives:
We tested that slow heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise testing, indicative of decreased parasympathetic nervous system activity, is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes in 1,813 healthy men.
Methods:
Heart rate recovery was calculated as the difference between maximum heart rate during the exercise test and heart rate 1 min after cessation of the exercise test.
Results:
During an average of 6.4 years of follow-up, 64 (3.5%) subjects developed type 2 diabetes. The unadjusted relative risk (RR) of developing incident diabetes in the slowest versus the fastest HRR quartile was 3.13 (95% CI, 1.28-7.65). However, the association was no longer significant after adjustment for diabetes risk factors and baseline glucose (RR = 2.28, 95% CI, 0.87-5.95).
Conclusion:
Slow HRR is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, but these relationships were largely explained by baseline fasting glucose in healthy men.
Related Concept Videos
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Type II Diabetes I: Introduction
Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Carbohydrate Metabolism
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in the...
Type II Diabetes Mellitus III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis
