Combined effects of time-restricted eating and exercise on short-term blood glucose management in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The TREx study, a randomised controlled trial

• DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112081
• Publication Date: 2025-03-08T23:54:30Z
• Authors: Ana Paula Bravo-G...; Bridget E Radford; Rebecca C Hall; Sophie C Broome; Nicolin Tee; Bronte Arthur; Kristel Janssens; Rich D Johnston; Shona L Halson; Brooke L Devlin; John A Hawley; Evelyn B Parr

AimsTime-restricted eating (TRE) is a chrono-nutrition strategy where the daily 'eating window' reduced to 8–10 h. We investigated acute (14-h) effects of TRE, with and without post-meal exercise, on blood glucose insulin concentrations in people type 2 diabetes mellitus.MethodsFourteen participants (5F, 9 M; HbA1c: 7.6 ± 1.0 %) completed four conditions this randomised crossover study: CON (eating window, 0800–2000 h), exercise (CON + Ex; h 15 min walking at 60 %VO2peak, 45 post-meal), TRE window 1000–1800 (TRE Ex, as per Ex), standardised meals. Venous samples were collected 26-timepoints analysed for concentrations. Statistical analysis used linear mixed-effects models P < 0.05.ResultsReducing had little effect plasma 14-h Area under curve (AUC). Exercise AUC (P = 0.01) no additive TRE.ConclusionPost-meal lowered AUC, neither 8-h nor altered compared 12-h window. Future work should focus long-term combined enhancing mellitus.