The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting With Regular Activity Breaks on Postprandial Glucose and Insulin in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Date
Authors
Gale, Jennifer
Martin, Hannah
Haszard, Jillian
Peddie, Meredith
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
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Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
Background Regular activity breaks improve postprandial glycemia, but the effects across different population groups and modes of breaks remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the impact of activity breaks on postprandial glucose and insulin response in adult populations. Methods Studies were identified from five databases until October 9, 2024. Eligible studies were acute (< 24-h duration) laboratory-based randomized crossover trials comparing postprandial glucose and/or insulin response between prolonged sitting and activity breaks (< 10 min, ≥ 3 breaks over 3 h). Risk of bias was assessed using the Downs and Black quality assessment tool. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted including subgroup analyses by activity mode, frequency, and participant health/weight status. Results Overall 53 studies met the eligibility criteria; 39 were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with prolonged sitting, activity breaks lowered postprandial glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC) (SMD −0.30, 95% CI −0.43 to −0.13) and insulin iAUC (SMD −0.30, 95% CI −0.46 to −0.14). Walking breaks had the greatest effect on glucose iAUC (SMD −0.33, 95% CI −0.48 to −0.17) and insulin iAUC (SMD −0.44, 95% CI −0.62 to −0.27), compared with other modes. Interrupting sitting every 15–20 min produced the largest reductions in glucose (SMD −0.51, 95% CI −0.83 to −0.19) and insulin iAUC (SMD −0.41, 95% CI −0.77 to −0.06). The largest reduction in glucose iAUC was observed in those living with obesity (SMD −0.52, 95% CI −1.07 to 0.03). Conclusion Frequent short walking breaks, performed every 20 min, provide the most improvement in postprandial glucose and insulin response in adults.Description
Keywords
cardiometabolic health, metabolism, physical activity, public health, sedentary behavior, 32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 4206 Public Health, 42 Health Sciences, 3202 Clinical Sciences, Diabetes, Nutrition, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities, Obesity, Metabolic and endocrine, Oral and gastrointestinal, 11 Medical and Health Sciences, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Endocrinology & Metabolism
Source
Obesity Reviews, ISSN: 1467-7881 (Print); 1467-789X (Online), Wiley, e70152-. doi: 10.1111/obr.70152
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© 2026 The Author(s). Obesity Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of World Obesity Federation. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.