Pre- Versus Postmeal Sedentary Duration—Impact on Postprandial Glucose in Older Adults With Overweight or Obesity

Introduction: Reducing sedentary time is associated with improved postprandial glucose regulation. However, it is not known if the timing of sedentary behavior (i.e., pre- vs. postmeal) differentially impacts postprandial glucose in older adults with overweight or obesity. Methods: In this secondary analysis, older adults (≥65 years) with overweight and obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2) wore a continuous glucose monitor and a sedentary behavior monitor continuously in their real-world environments for four consecutive days on four separate occasions. Throughout each 4-day measurement period, participants followed a standardized eucaloric diet and recorded mealtimes in a diary. Glucose, sedentary behavior, and meal intake data were fused using sensor and diary timestamps. Mixed-effect linear regression models were used to evaluate the impact of sedentary timing relative to meal intake. Results: Premeal sedentary time was significantly associated with both the increase from premeal glucose to the postmeal peak (ΔG) and the percent of premeal glucose increase that was recovered 1-hr postmeal glucose peak (%Baseline Recovery; p < .05), with higher levels of premeal sedentary time leading to both a larger ΔG and a smaller %Baseline Recovery. Postmeal sedentary time was significantly associated with the time from meal intake to glucose peak (ΔT; p < .05), with higher levels of postmeal sedentary time leading to a longer time to peak. Conclusions: Pre- versus postmeal sedentary behavior differentially impacts postprandial glucose response in older adults with overweight or obesity, suggesting that the timing of sedentary behavior reductions might play an influential role on long-term glycemic control.