Why do women need to walk more often than men after lunch?

      A group of researchers from National Taiwan University found that regular short walks after meals help manage blood glucose levels more effectively. The results of the experiment were published in a scientific journal.

      The study involved 20 healthy volunteers—men and women in equal numbers. They were divided into two subgroups. One group of participants remained almost motionless for five and a half hours. Participants from the second group stood up every 20 minutes and walked briskly for two minutes, writes the portal transsibinfo.com.

      In women who remained seated for long periods, the sugar level in abdominal fat tissue rose and fell more slowly, maintaining relative stability. When two-minute walks were incorporated into the routine every 20 minutes, the glucose concentration in this tissue noticeably decreased. For men, the dynamics were less obvious; however, those with excess fat deposits around the waist or signs of reduced insulin sensitivity showed improvements almost at the same level as women.

      The researchers attribute this difference to the characteristics of different types of fat cells. Some of them can actively capture glucose without requiring insulin and convert it to fat more quickly. Others are heavily dependent on insulin, making them more susceptible to sharp fluctuations in sugar levels.

      The authors of the study emphasize that while brief walking has a beneficial effect on glucose processing, their experiment had several limitations: a modest sample size and a short observation period. To understand how such a habit affects the risk of developing diabetes in the long term, further, larger-scale trials are needed.