Effects of electrical stimulation of the lower extremities on postprandial hyperglycemia and arterial stiffness

To compare the acute effects of electrical stimulation (ES) of the lower extremities on postprandial hyperglycemia and arterial stiffness during oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT).

In a randomized crossover study, eight healthy young men completed three experimental trials in which they underwent ES for 30 min, starting 60 min before (Before) or 30 min after (After) ingesting 75 g of glucose; ES was not performed in the control trial (Control). The subjects' blood glucose levels and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) were measured as an index of arterial stiffness at baseline and 30, 60, and 120 min after glucose ingestion. Serum insulin levels were measured at baseline and 60 min after glucose ingestion.

The subjects' glucose intake led to an increase in their blood glucose concentration in all trials, however, in the After trial, ES resulted in significantly lower blood glucose concentrations at 60 min post glucose ingestion compared to the Control and Before trials. The area under the curve (AUC) of serum insulin concentrations during the OGTT in the After trial was significantly lower than that in the other two trials. Moreover, glucose ingestion did not increase the baPWV, however, 30 min of ES during the postprandial state acutely reduced the baPWV.

These results suggest that ES is most effective in reducing postprandial hyperglycemia when administered after a meal. Thus, lower extremity ES may be an alternative exercise method to activate postprandial glucose metabolism in healthy individuals.