Breaking-Up Sedentary Behavior and Detraining Effects on Glycemic Control: A Randomized Crossover Trial in Trained Older Adults

In a randomized crossover trial, we examined the effects of interrupting sedentary behavior on glycemic control in trained older adults, before and after 2 weeks of detraining. Fourteen participants (65-90 years old) completed two 7-hr conditions before and after 2 weeks of detraining: (a) uninterrupted sitting (SIT) and (b) sitting plus 2 min of moderate-intensity activity every 30 min (INT). Both before and after detraining, no differences were observed for 7-hr glucose area under the curve (7 hr AUC) and mean glucose between sitting plus 2 min of moderate-intensity activity and uninterrupted sitting conditions. After detraining and for the SIT condition, higher values of 7-hr AUC (p = .014) and mean glucose (p = .015) were observed, indicating worsened glycemic control. No changes were observed in INT condition between both time points. Frequent interruptions in sedentary behavior had no effect on glycemic control, prior to or after detraining. Even so, older adults experiencing a short-term detraining period should avoid prolonged bouts of sedentary behavior that may jeopardize their glycemic control.