Daily physical activity, work capacity and glucose tolerance in lean and obese normoglycaemic middle-aged men

Daily physical activity, work capacity, relative body weight and glucose tolerance were studied in 115 normoglycaemic 48 year old men selected from a health screening programme. In contrast to the reported physical activity at work, leisure time activity was significantly related to maximal oxygen uptake (p less than 0.05), glucose (p less than 0.05) and insulin values (p less than 0.05) during OGTT, but not to relative body weight. The number of men with impaired glucose tolerance (glucose at 120 min greater than 6.9 mmol) was significantly higher among those who were physically inactive during their leisure time. The insulin glucose ratio at 0 and 120 min during the OGTT was significantly higher in the obese unfit as compared to the obese fit subjects thus suggesting an influence of moderate leisure time physical activity on glucose tolerance.