Exercising At Night Best For Blood Sugar Control

Experts emphasize that all activity lowers blood sugar and that the best time to exercise is whenever you can fit it in.

The new study shows that it's not just the amount of physical activity, but that timing is also relevant when improving blood sugar control, says coauthor Antonio Clavero Jimeno , a PhD candidate at the Sport and Health University Research Institute at the University of Granada in Spain.

The study included 186 participants with an average age of 46 and an average BMI of 33. Investigators monitored physical activity and glucose patterns over a 14-day period using a wristband activity tracker and a continuous glucose-monitoring device.

Researchers found that getting 50 percent or more of daily moderate to vigorous activity in the evening was associated with lowering day, night, and overall blood glucose levels compared with being inactive, and the link was stronger in people with impaired glucose regulation.

"The results show slightly greater reduction in blood glucose levels if exercise is performed in the late afternoon or evening, but the difference is minimal compared to the mixed and morning exercise [groups]," says Malene Lindholm, PhD , an instructor of cardiovascular medicine and researcher at Stanford University in California, who was not involved in the research.

These findings confirm what Fatima Syed, MD , an internal medicine doctor who specializes in diabetes and weight management at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina, sees in her practice.

For managing blood sugar levels, exercising in the evening, and particularly after dinner, can improve morning glycemic control, says Dr. Syed.

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