Effects of break in sedentary behaviour on blood glucose control in diabetic patients. Systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: One of the main goals of prescribing physical activity for people with type 2 diabetes is to reduce hyperglycaemia, as it is a risk factor for the development of chronic complications. As less time spent each day in sedentary behaviour would lead to higher glucose consumption by skeletal muscle tissue, this could have significant positive effects on blood glucose control parameters. For this reason, the aim of this study was to analyse the information from different protocols for breaking sedentary behaviour and the association with blood glucose control parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search was carried out for randomised controlled studies on this topic published in the scientific literature. The following databases were considered: PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCO, WoS, ScienceDirect and Medline. RESULTS: 24 studies were identified and analysed using the COVIDENCE platform. Seven articles were selected for the final analysis, comprising 138 patients. The results show that breaks in sedentary behaviour with light physical activity in people with type 2 diabetes are effective in reducing insulin resistance, the area under the glucose curve, fasting and postprandial blood glucose, and blood glucose variability. CONCLUSIONS: Acute interruption of sedentary behaviour, through light-intensity and short-duration exercise, can improve blood glucose indicators in patients with type 2 diabetes, including short term blood glucose variability.