The Acute Impact of Sit-stand Desks on Post-meal Blood Sugar Levels

NCT02913079 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 6006774
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 14
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Context and Rationale: Uninterrupted sitting is associated with increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and death, even among people who are physically active. These relationships are likely due to increases in post-meal blood sugar observed when people sit for long periods (e.g. \> 1 hour) without interruption. In contrast to sitting, standing results in large reductions in post-meal blood sugar levels. Our group has recently shown that sit-stand desks result in large (e.g. 2.5 hour/day) reductions in occupational sitting time. Taken together, these findings suggest that sit-stand desks may help to reduce post-meal blood sugar levels. However, this has yet to be examined in the field. Theoretical Approach and Objectives: The objective of this randomized crossover study is to determine whether people have lower blood sugar when using a sit-stand desk, in comparison to a desk that can only be used while sitting. Methods and Procedures: Sixteen participants will be asked to wear a continuous glucose monitor to measure their blood sugar levels during 2 separate conditions. During one condition, they will be asked to use a sit-stand desk to sit and/or stand as much as they like during 1 workday. During the other condition, they will be asked to work at a seated desk for 1 workday. Participants will be provided with identical meals to eat during each of the two conditions. We hypothesize that participants will have lower blood sugar levels on the day when they use the sit-stand desk, in comparison to the day using a traditional seated desk. Significance and Future Use: If our results support this hypothesis, this would suggest that sit-stand desks may be a useful way to reduce blood sugar levels in people at risk for diabetes. This could also lead to larger population-based interventions studying the health impact of sit-stand desks.

Conditions

Insulin Sensitivity; Glucose Tolerance; Sedentary Behaviour; Physical Activity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Postprandial Glucose

  Postprandial glucose will be assessed over 1 workday in both the experimental and control conditions.

  12 hours

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Objectively measured minutes of light, moderate and vigorous physical activity.

  24 hours

• Objectively measured minutes of sitting

  24 hours

Study Arms (2)

Sit-stand desk

EXPERIMENTAL

During this condition, participants will sit or stand as much as they like throughout a workday.

Behavioral: Sit-stand desk

Sitting

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

During this condition, participants will work in the sitting position only.

Behavioral: Sitting desk

Interventions

Sit-stand desk BEHAVIORAL

Sit-stand desk

Sitting desk BEHAVIORAL

Sitting

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• To participate in this study, participants must be between the ages of 20 and 65, and have access to a sit-stand desk (depending on your workspace, we may be able to provide you with a sit-stand desk during the study if you do not already have one).

You may not qualify if:

• Participants will be excluded if they are currently taking any diabetes medications targeting blood sugar or insulin sensitivity as this will impact our primary outcome of postprandial glucose. Participants will also be excluded if they are unable to stand or walk independently, as these are secondary outcomes in the present study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Prince Edward Island: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Prince Edward Island

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4P3, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Insulin Resistance; Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Hyperinsulinism; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 15, 2016
• First Posted: September 23, 2016
• Study Start: September 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2018
• Study Completion: September 1, 2018
• Last Updated: October 17, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CA (1)