'Activity snacking' shown to help people with type 1 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels, say Sunderland scientists

This, in turn, can also reduce the risk of complications associated with the condition such as heart attack and stroke, scientists from the University of Sunderland said.

The findings - which are yet to be peer-reviewed - were presented at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference 2023 and involved 32 participants who were assessed over a two-week period.

Dr Matthew Campbell, principal investigator in cardiovascular and metabolic medicine at the University of Sunderland, said: “These results provide the first piece of evidence that simply breaking up prolonged periods of time sitting with light-intensity activity can increase the amount of time spent with blood sugar levels in the target range.

"Importantly, this strategy does not seem to increase the risk of potentially dangerous blood glucose lows which are a common occurrence with more traditional types of physical activity and exercise.

“Breaking up prolonged sitting with light-intensity activity is something that people can do irrespective of whether they currently exercise or not.

"For some people, ‘activity snacking’ could be an important stepping-stone towards more regular physical activity or exercise, whereas for others, it may be a simple and acceptable intervention to help manage blood glucose levels.

“Following on from these initial findings, our preliminary analyses also show that breaking up prolonged sitting time with light-activity breaks may improve blood vessel health and reduce the risk of diabetes related complications.”

Nearly 400,000 people in the UK are living with type 1 diabetes.

The condition occurs when the body's immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, leading to high blood sugar levels.

For the study, the participants completed two seven-hour sitting sessions - in one they remained seated for the full seven hours while during the other session, sitting time was broken up with three-minute bouts of light-intensity walking every 30 minutes.

Blood sugar levels were monitored during each session.

The participants were given a set breakfast and lunch, and were asked to stick to the same diet, activity levels and insulin doses over the study period.

Results showed taking regular walking breaks resulted in lower average blood sugar levels (6.9mmol/L) over 48 hours, compared with uninterrupted sitting (8.2mmol/L).

This increased time with blood sugar levels in the target range by 14 percentage points, the researchers said, and did not cause blood sugars to become dangerously low.

Dr Elizabeth Robertson, director of research at Diabetes UK, which funded the study, said: “For people with type 1 diabetes, managing blood sugar levels day in day out is relentless.

"Being physically active is important in managing the condition, but building exercise into your daily routine can be challenging, and even those who exercise frequently can often spend a lot of time sitting or lying down.

“It’s incredibly encouraging that these findings suggest that making a simple, practical change – such as taking phone calls while walking, or setting a timer to remind you to take breaks – to avoid sitting for long periods could have such a profound effect on blood sugar levels.

“Breaking up sitting time with short bursts of activity offers a cost-free way to help people with type 1 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels and potentially reduce their risk of future complications. We look forward to further research to understand the long-term benefits of this approach.”