# Postprandial exercise attenuates glucose and insulin and is associated with age, cognitive function, and extracellular/intracellular body water

## TL;DR

Exercising after meals lowers blood sugar and insulin in both young and older people, and this effect is linked to age, brain function, and body water balance.

## Contribution

This study compares postprandial exercise effects on glucose/insulin in young and older adults and links them to cognitive function and body water ratios.

## Key findings

- Postprandial exercise significantly reduced glucose and insulin levels in both younger and older adults.
- The metabolic response after exercise correlated strongly with age, cognitive function, and extracellular to intracellular water ratio.
- Findings suggest postprandial exercise benefits metabolic health across age groups and is influenced by body composition and cognition.

## Abstract

Postprandial exercise attenuates glucose/insulin and is recommended for people with metabolic disease. The magnitude of the attenuation has not been directly compared in healthy older and younger people, who are active exercisers, or correlated to biomarkers associated with aging like body water ratios and cognitive function. We determined whether a dose of prescribed exercise attenuated postprandial insulin and glucose in younger and older participants; then, we determined if age, cognitive function, and extracellular to intracellular body water levels (ECW/ICW) were associated with that attenuation. Thirty‐six people, 19 younger adults (seven female) and 17 older adults (nine female), had blood samples taken after a standardized meal followed by exercise or quiet sitting. Participants completed the National Institutes of Health Toolbox assessing cognitive function and had their anthropometrics assessed including ECW/ICW. Postprandial exercise decreased insulin and glucose in younger and older adults compared to postprandial sitting (p < 0.001, p = 0.003). There were strong correlations between the extent of the metabolic response after exercise and age, ECW/ICW, and cognitive function. Our results highlight that postprandial exercise reduced insulin and glucose among young and old active exercisers and this change was associated with a person's cognitive function and body water compartment ratio (ECW/ICW).