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Abstract

Muscle contractions help regulate blood glucose by promoting uptake in the muscle cells. However, modern sedentary (low activity level) lifestyles significantly reduce opportunities for muscle contractions. PURPOSE: This study examined whether brief full-body muscle contractions could effectively alter glucose regulation with responses differing by activity level. METHODS: Three High-Active individuals (HA; 3100 ± 1002 MET-minute/week, 24 ± 5.7 years, 1 woman) and 3 Low-Active individuals (LA;129 ± 152 MET-minute/week, 19 ± 1.4 years, 1 woman) performed randomized and counterbalanced tasks involving brief full-body muscle contraction and non-contraction tasks. The contraction task consisted of 3 sets of 15s fully-body muscle contractions in a supine position with 1-min rest between sets. Electromyography (EMG, Trigno®, Delsys Inc., Boston, MA, USA) was used to monitor muscle activity in the leg (Vastus medialis, Vastus lateralis, Rectus femoris, Tibialis anterior) and arm (Brachioradialis, and Flexors digitorum) muscle groups. Blood glucose levels were measured with a glucose monitor (Verio Reflect, OneTouch, Malvern, PA, USA) 10-min before and 30-min after the tasks, and heart rate (HR) was assessed using HR monitor (Polar H10, Polar Electro, Kempele, Finland) during the tasks. For non-contraction task, protocol was identical to full-body muscle contraction but consisted of no muscle contractions, serving as baseline comparisons. RESULTS: Limited by sample size for statistical significance, notable trends were observed. LA showed a 5.99% increase in glucose levels post-contraction, while HA exhibited a 1.4% decrease. Muscle activity was lower in LA (24%mvc) compared to HA (30%mvc) with similar HR responses (HA 53%Hmax vs. LA 53%Hmax). CONCLUSION: The findings represent that LA exhibited increased post-contraction glucose levels and greater cardiovascular strain despite lower muscle activation, contrasted by a decrease in glucose in HA. These findings suggest that regular physical activity lowers the threshold of muscle contraction-induced glucose regulation, underscoring its protective role in metabolic health

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