Reducing sedentary time to improve glucose and lipid metabolism

Our objective is to identify a simple and time effective activity-based intervention that will improve metabolic control and improve daily blood glucose. At the same time we will uncover new molecular targets that can be leveraged to identify treatment targets by mapping molecular signatures in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue Type 2 diabetes is a life threatening metabolic disease reaching epidemic proportions.

We have shown that type 2 diabetic patients are characterized by insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and that exercise can counteract this defect and improve blood glucose levels, Type 2 diabetes shares many features of accelerated aging including poor glucose handling, insulin resistance and loss of muscle mass. Strikingly, long-term participation in vigorous exercise programs mitigates secondary aging and reduces disability and mortality. This research project is designed to test whether low-intensity physical activity by breaking up sedentary behavior will improve glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes.