Effects of Postprandial Walking and Resistance Snacking on Glucose Responses in Adults With Metabolic Syndrome (BITE)

Effects of Postprandial Walking and Brief Resistance Exercise Snacks on Continuous Glucose and Heart Rate Variability Responses in Adults With Metabolic Syndrome and Prediabetes: A Randomized Crossover Trial

This study will examine whether light physical activity after meals can improve 24-hour glucose responses in adults with metabolic syndrome and prediabetes.

Participants will complete three experimental conditions in a randomized crossover order: prolonged sitting, 15 minutes of postprandial walking, and brief resistance exercise snacks consisting of squats and calf raises performed every 20 minutes during the postprandial period. Continuous glucose monitoring will be used to assess 24-hour glucose responses, and heart rate variability will be measured during the 2-hour postprandial period to evaluate acute autonomic responses.

The main outcome is 24-hour mean glucose derived from continuous glucose monitoring.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Metabolic Syndrome; Prediabetes
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Postprandial walking; Behavioral: Brief resistance exercise snacks

Detailed Description

Metabolic syndrome and prediabetes are associated with impaired glucose regulation and increased cardiometabolic risk. Light physical activity after meals may help reduce postprandial glucose excursions and improve overall daily glucose control. However, it remains unclear whether brief resistance exercise snacks can provide glucose benefits comparable to postprandial walking under standardized meal conditions.

This study is a randomized crossover trial in adults aged 40 to 65 years with metabolic syndrome and prediabetes. Each participant will complete three experimental conditions in a randomized order: prolonged sitting, 15 minutes of walking after a standardized meal, and brief resistance exercise snacks performed every 20 minutes during the postprandial period. The resistance exercise snacks will consist of simple body-weight exercises, including squats and calf raises.

Glucose responses will be assessed using continuous glucose monitoring. The primary outcome will be 24-hour mean glucose after each experimental condition. Key secondary glycemic outcomes will include 2-hour postprandial glucose incremental area under the curve, 2-hour mean glucose, peak glucose, time to peak glucose, nocturnal mean glucose, and glycemic variability indices. Heart rate variability will be assessed during the 2-hour postprandial period using RR interval data collected with a chest strap heart rate monitor to evaluate acute autonomic responses to each condition.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether brief resistance exercise snacks can improve 24-hour glucose regulation and postprandial glucose responses compared with uninterrupted sitting, and whether these responses are comparable to postprandial walking.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 25
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Yunmin Han; Phone Number: +82-10-3537-2339; Email: hym224@snu.ac.kr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Inclusion Criteria:
• Adults aged 40 to 65 years
• Presence of metabolic syndrome
• Fasting glucose of 100 mg/dL or higher or HbA1c of 5.7% or higher
• Not regularly engaged in structured exercise training, defined as less than 150 minutes per week during the past year
• Able to consume the standardized study meals
• Able to wear a continuous glucose monitor and a chest strap heart rate monitor
• Able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of major cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, respiratory, renal, hepatic, neurological, or other severe medical conditions that may affect study participation.
• Uncontrolled hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥100 mmHg.
• Current use of medications associated with a high risk of hypoglycemia, such as insulin or sulfonylureas.
• Initiation or dose change of insulin or oral glucose-lowering medications within the past 3 months.
• Initiation or dose change of medications for hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes within the past 3 months.
• Musculoskeletal, neurological, or orthopedic conditions that limit safe participation in walking or body-weight resistance exercise, including severe knee, hip, back, or ankle pain.
• Regular participation in moderate-to-vigorous exercise of 150 minutes or more per week during the past year.
• Difficulty consuming the standardized study meals, including food allergy, dietary restrictions, or severe gastrointestinal symptoms.
• Difficulty wearing a continuous glucose monitor or history of severe skin irritation or allergy to adhesive sensors.
• Difficulty wearing a chest strap heart rate monitor or skin problems at the chest strap site.
• Pregnancy or planned pregnancy.
• Acute illness, infection, surgery, or hospitalization within the past month.
• Current participation in another interventional study.
• Any condition judged by the investigator to make participation unsafe or inappropriate.

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Prolonged Sitting; Participants will remain seated during the 2-hour postprandial period after consuming a standardized meal.
Experimental: Postprandial Walking; Participants will perform 15 minutes of light-to-moderate walking after consuming a standardized meal.	Behavioral: Postprandial walking; Participants will perform 15 minutes of light-to-moderate walking after consuming a standardized meal. Walking intensity will be monitored using heart rate and rating of perceived exertion.
Experimental: Brief Resistance Exercise Snacks; Participants will perform 3-minute bouts of body-weight resistance exercises, including squats and calf raises, every 20 minutes during the postprandial period after consuming a standardized meal.	Behavioral: Brief resistance exercise snacks; Participants will perform 3-minute bouts of body-weight resistance exercises every 20 minutes during the postprandial period after consuming a standardized meal. The exercise bouts will include squats and calf raises.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
24-hour mean glucose	Mean glucose over 24 hours after each experimental condition, derived from continuous glucose monitoring.	24 hours after each experimental condition

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
2-hour postprandial glucose incremental area under the curve	The 2-hour postprandial glucose incremental area under the curve will be calculated from continuous glucose monitoring data after the standardized meal.	0 to 120 minutes after the standardized meal
Change in RMSSD	Change in the root mean square of successive differences from the pre-meal resting baseline during the 2-hour postprandial period. RMSSD will be calculated from RR interval data collected with a chest strap heart rate monitor.	0 to 120 minutes after the standardized meal

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Seoul National University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 27, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 27, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 2, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 2, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 27, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Metabolic syndrome; Prediabetes; Continuous glucose monitoring; Resistance exercise; Heart rate variability; Postprandial glucose; Exercise snack
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Endocrine System Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Diabetes Mellitus; Insulin Resistance; Hyperinsulinism; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Metabolic Syndrome; Prediabetic State
• Other Study ID Numbers: SNU-CGM-EX-2026; 2601/001-020 (Other Identifier: Seoul National University Institutional Review Board approval number)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No