A single one-minute, comfortable paced, stair-climbing bout reduces postprandial glucose following a mixed meal

Postprandial blood glucose (PBG) is an independent predictor of disease and mortality risk. To date, the shortest, single, moderate-intensity exercise intervention to reduce PBG is a 1 min bout of stair stepping during an oral glucose tolerance test. Whether this effect translates to real meal consumption is unknown.

Subjects (N = 30) participated in a randomized controlled crossover trial performing 0 min (seated control), 1 min, 3 min or 10 min of stair climbing and descending bouts (SCD) at a self-selected pace after consumption of a mixed meal on four separate visits. Compared to control, all SCD reduced PBG at least one timepoint: at 30-min the 3 min (-10.8 (-18.7 to -2.8) mg/dL, p = 0.010) and 10 min (-36.3 (-46.4 to -26.3) mg/dL), p < .001), and at 45-min the 1 min (-7.3 (-13.9 to -0.7) mg/dL, p = 0.030, 3 min (-8.7 (-13.9 to -3.6) mg/dL, p = 0.002 and 10 min SCD (-12.2 (-18.2 to -6.1)mg/dL, p < 0.000) reduced PBG. The area under the curve (AUC) for PBG was lower following the 3 min (-4.4% (-7.5 to -1.4%), p = 0.006) and 10 min (-8.9% (-12.4 to -5.3%), p < 0.001), while the incremental AUC (iAUC) was reduced only following the 10 min (-38.0% (-63.7 to -12.3%), p = 0.005) SCD. All SCD were rated by subjects as very light to light intensity.

Single, subjectively "light" intensity stair climbing and descending bouts as short as 1 min in duration attenuate the postprandial glucose response in normal weight individuals following consumption of a mixed meal. More pronounced effects require longer bouts in a dose-dependent manner.