Researchers during a recent Finnish collaborative study of Turku PET Centre and UKK institute believe standing is associated with better insulin sensitivity. Findings of the study were published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. Insulin is a key hormone in energy metabolism and blood sugar regulation. Normal insulin function in the body may be disturbed by e.g., being overweight, leading to decreased insulin sensitivity and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Type 2 diabetes is one the most common lifestyle diseases worldwide, and its onset is usually preceded by impaired insulin sensitivity. This refers to a state in which the body does not react to insulin normally, and the blood glucose levels rise.
In a study of Turku PET Centre and UKK institute, the researchers investigated the association between insulin resistance and sedentary behaviour, physical activity and fitness in inactive working-age adults with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. They observed that standing is associated with better insulin sensitivity independently of the amount of daily physical activity or sitting time, fitness level, or overweight.
Doctoral candidate Taru Garthwaite from the University of Turku said “This association has not been shown before. These findings further encourage replacing a part of daily sitting time with standing, especially if physical activity recommendations are not met.” The study also emphasizes the importance of healthy body composition on metabolic health. Results show that increased body fat percentage was a more important factor in terms of insulin sensitivity than physical activity, fitness, or the amount of time spent sitting.
“Regular exercise is well known to be beneficial for health. It seems that physical activity, fitness, and sedentary behaviour are also connected to insulin metabolism, but indirectly, through their effect on body composition,” Garthwaite explained.
“Our aim is to study if reducing daily sitting time by an hour has an impact on energy metabolism and fat accumulation in the liver and the whole body, for example, in addition to insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation,” said Garthwaite.
