Table 1.
Studies | Participant Characteristics | PPE Protocols | Test Meals | Outcome Variables | Major Findings | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Authors (Year) | N (Sex) | Age (Year) | BMI (kg/m2) | Disease Status (Fasting Glucose) | Exercise Mode and Intensity | Exercise Duration | Exercise Timing Post-Meal | Caloric Intake (Kcal) | % Energy from CHO | ||
Bellini et al. [47] | 8 | 63 | 32 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.0%) |
|
|
~30 min | 310/meal | 66 | 3 h mean glucose concentration | 3 h mean glucose ↓ in AE or RE than CON |
Carrillo-Arango et al. [56] | 33 (24 M/9 F) | 33 | 29 | OW/OB (FG: 85 mg/dL) | 8 30 s all-out cycling at 90–95% HRmax with 1 min rest period between bouts | 12 min | ~90 min | 300/meal | 100 | 3 h glucose AUC | 3 h glucose AUC ↔ between PPE and CON |
Colberg et al. [26] | 12 (6 M/6 F) | 61 | 35 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.0%) | Walking at 40% HHR | 20 min | 15–20 min | 400–450/meal | Mixed | 4 h glucose AUC | 4 h glucose AUC ↔ between PPE and CON |
Derave et al. [57] | 7 (7 M) | 45 | 34 | OB (FG: 90 mg/dL) | Cycling at 60% VO2max | 45 min | ~60 min | 516/meal | 82 | 3 h glucose iAUC | 3 h glucose iAUC ↔ between PPE and CON |
DiPietro et al. [58] | 10 | 69 | 30 | OB (FG: 105–125 mg/dL) | Walking at 3 METs for 15 min after each meal | 45 min | ~30 min | 32/kg/day | 53 | 3 h mean glucose concentration; 24 h glucose AUC | 3 h mean glucose ↓ in PPE than CON; 24 h glucose AUC ↓ in PPE than CON |
Erickson et al. [37] | 10 (2 M/8 F) | 57 | 34 | T2DM (HbA1c: 6.3%) | 5 10 min cycling at 60% VO2max with 3 min rest between bouts | 50 min | <30 min | 600–1000/meal | 65 | 2 h glucose AUC; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 2 h glucose AUC ↓ in PPE than CON; 24 h mean glucose ↔ between PPE and CON |
Gillen et al. [29] | 7 | 62 | 31 | T2DM (HbA1c: 6.9%) | 10 1 min cycling at 85% HRmax with 1 min rest between bouts | 10 min | ~90 min | 1704/day | 52 | 2 h mean glucose concentration; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 2 h mean glucose ↓ in PPE than CON; 24 h mean glucose ↔ between PPE and CON |
Haxhi et al. [48] | 9 (9 M) | 58 | 30 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.0%) | Walking at 50% of HRR | 40 min | ~40 min | 673/meal | 55–60 | 3 h glucose iAUC; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 3 h iAUC ↔ between PPE and CON; 24 h mean glucose ↔ between PPE and CON |
Heden et al. [28] | 13 (5 M/8 F) | 49 | 37 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.2%) | 3 sets of 10 reps in each of 8 exercises at 10 RM with ~2 min rest between sets | 47 min | ~45 min | 832/meal | 50 | 4 h glucose iAUC | 4 h glucose iAUC ↓ in PPE than CON |
Honda et al. [30] | 16 (13 M/3 F) | 65 | 24 | T2DM (HbA1c: 6.9%) | Stair climbing at ~80% HRmax for 3 min after breakfast and lunch | 3 min | 60–120 min | 460/meal | 49 | 3 h glucose AUC | 3 h glucose AUC ↓ in PPE than CON |
Honda et al. [31] | 7 (7 M) | 70 | 24 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7%) | Stair climbing at ~80% HRmax for 3 min after breakfast and lunch | 3 min | 60–120 min | 522/meal | 66 | 24 h mean glucose concentration | 24 h mean glucose ↓ in PPE than CON |
Kong et al. [59] | 15 (15 M) | 21 | 34 | OW (NA) | 4 30 s all-out cycling against 5–7.5% of BM with 4 min recovery between bouts | 14 min | ~90 min | NA | 55 | 2.5 h glucose AUC | 2.5 h glucose AUC ↓ in PPE than CON |
Larsen et al. [49] | 8 (8 M) | 56 | 29 | T2DM (HbA1c: 6.0%) | 4 7 min cycling (3 min at 57% and 4 min at 98% VO2max with 6 min rest between bouts | 46 min | <45 min | 648/meal | 59 | 4 h glucose iAUC | 4 h glucose iAUC ↓ in PPE than CON |
Larsen et al. [50] | 9 (9 M) | 60 | 29 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.1%) | Cycling at 50% VO2max | 45 min | ~45 min | 596/meal | 56 | 4 h glucose iAUC | 4 h glucose iAUC ↓ in PPE than CON |
Li et al. [38] | 29 (22 M/7 F) | 51 | 25 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.3%) | Walking at 40% HRR | 20 min | <30 min | 1754/day | 55 | 2 h glucose AUC; 12 h mean glucose concentration | 2 h glucose AUC ↓ in PPE than CON; 12 h mean glucose ↔ between PPE and CON |
Little et al. [60] | 10 (2 M/8 F) | 41 | 36 | OW/OB (FG: 5.6 mM) |
|
|
~120 min | 595/meal | 70 | 2 h glucose iAUC; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 2 h glucose iAUC ↓ in HIIE or CMIE than CON; 24 h mean glucose ↔ across HIIE, CMIE, and CON |
Manders et al. [51] | 9 (9 M) | 57 | 29 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.3%) |
|
|
<60 min | 2503/day | 58 | 4 h mean glucose; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 4 h mean glucose ↔ across LI, HI, and CON; 24 h mean glucose ↓ in LI than CON |
Manders et al. [32] | 15 (7 M/8 F) | 60 | 30 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.0%) |
|
|
60 min | 200/meal | 61 | 50 min mean glucose concentration | 50 min mean glucose ↓ in HIIE or CMIE than CON |
Metcalfe et al. [52] | 11 (11 M) | 52 | 30 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.0%) |
|
|
~30 min | 2441/day | 51 | 3 h mean glucose concentration; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 3 h glucose AUC ↔ across ASIE, HIIE, CMIE, and CON; 24 h mean glucose ↓ in ASIE than CON |
Moreira et al. [33] | 9 (9 M) | 47 | 29 | T2DM (HbA1c: >7%) |
|
|
~120 min | 285/meal | 63 | 145 min glucose AUC | 145 min glucose iAUC ↓ in RE-LI or RE-MI than CON |
Nygaard et al. [61] | 12 (8 M/4 F) | 65 | 25 | HG (HbA1c: 6.1%) | Walking at 8% and speed corresponding to RPE of 12 | 60 min | ~30 min | 2117/day | 44 | 1 h glucose AUC; 22 h mean glucose concentration | 1 h glucose AUC ↓ in PPE than CON; 22 h mean glucose ↔ between PPE and CON |
Parker et al. [62] | 27 (10 M/17 F) | 30 | 30 | OW/OB (FG: 4.5–5.0 mM) |
|
|
≥60 min | 500/meal | 55 | 2 h glucose AUC; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 2 h AUC ↓ in HIIE or CMIE than CON; 22 h mean glucose ↓ in HIIE or CMIE than CON |
Rasmussen et al. [53] | 12 (8 M/4 F) | 56 | 29 | T2DM (HbA1c: 8%) | Cycling at 40% VO2max | 30 min | 30 min | 436/meal | 48 | 4 h glucose AUC | 4 h glucose AUC ↔ between PPE and CON |
Sargeant et al. [63] | 23 (13 M/10 F) | 67 | 30 | HG (HbA1c: 5.9%) |
|
|
~90 min | 622–668/meal | 62 | 6 h glucose AUC | 6 h glucose iAUC ↔ across PPE-HIIE, CMIE and CON in WE and SA subgroups |
Shambrook et al. [64] | 10 (8 M/2 F) | 50 | 29 | OW (FG: 4.8 mM) |
|
|
30 min | NA | 55 | 2 h glucose AUC; 24 h glucose AUC | 2 h and 24 h glucose AUC ↔ between Ex-30 × 1, Ex-10 × 3, and CON |
Terada et al. [54] | 10 (8 M/2 F) | 60 | 31 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.1%) |
|
|
≥60 min | 600/meal | 50 | 2 h glucose iAUC; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 2 h iAUC ↔ between HIIE or CMIE and CON; 24 h mean glucose ↔ between HIIE or CMIE and CON |
Van Dijk et al. [34] | 60 (60 M) | 60 | 30 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.3%) | Cycling at 35–50% Wmax | 45–60 min | 90–150 min | 2390/day | 56 | 24 h mean glucose concentration | 24 h mean glucose ↓ in PPE than CON |
Van Dijk et al. [35] | 45 (45 M) | 61 | 30 | IGT and T2DM (HbA1c: 6.1–7.6%) |
|
|
~150 min | 2486/day | 57 | 6 h mean glucose; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 6 h mean glucose ↓ in AE or RE than CON in all subgroups; 24 h mean glucose ↓ in AE or RE than CON in IGT, OGLM, and INS subgroups |
van Dijk et al. [36] | 30 (30 M) | 60 | 30 | T2DM (HbA1c: 7.0–7.4%) |
|
|
~90 min | 2462/day | 55 | 48 h mean glucose concentration | 48 h mean glucose ↓ in Ex-Daily or Ex-Nondaily than CON |
van Dijk et al. [55] | 20 (20 M) | 64 | 30 | T2DM (HbA1c: 6.9%) |
|
|
~45 min | 2342/day | 50 | 24 h mean glucose concentration | 24 h mean glucose ↓ in Ex-45 × 1 than CON, but ↔ between Ex-15 × 3 and CON |
Zhang et al. [39] | 20 (20 M) | 23 | 27 (OB by WHO Guidelines) | OW/OB (HbA1c: 5.3%) |
|
|
~20 min and ~40 min | 1970–1980/day | 49.7–51.2 | 4 h glucose iAUC; 24 h mean glucose concentration | 4 h iAUC ↓ in Ex-20 min post or Ex-40 min post than CON; 24 h mean glucose ↔ between Ex-20 min post or Ex-40 min post and CON |
Note: Thirty-one studies were selected for the meta-analysis. Values for age, BMI, and fasting glucose are the group means extracted from the studies. PPE: Postprandial exercise; CON: Time-matched control condition; ASIE: All-out sprint interval exercise; HIIE: High-intensity interval exercise; CMIT: Continuous moderate-intensity exercise; AE: Aerobic exercise; RE: Resistance exercise; MET: Metabolic equivalent; HHR: Heart rate reserve; W: Power in watts; BM: Body mass; LI: Lower intensity; MI: Moderate intensity; HI: High intensity; AUC: Area under the curve; iAUC: Incremental AUC; WE: White Europeans; SA: South Asians; IGT: Impaired glucose tolerance; OGLM: Oral glucose-lowering medication; INS: Insulin treatment; ↓: Significantly different, p < 0.05; ↔: not significantly different, p ≥ 0.05.