The impact of frequent interruptions to sedentary behavior on postprandial metabolism in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of interrupting sedentary behavior on postprandial metabolic outcomes in healthy adults. We systematically searched seven databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL Complete) from inception to June 6, 2025, for eligible randomized controlled trials. Primary outcomes included total and incremental areas under the curve for glucose, insulin, and triglycerides. Study quality (Cochrane Risk of Bias version 2) and overall evidence quality (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) were assessed. Data were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis in Stata 18.0, with effects expressed as standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Seventeen randomized controlled trials comprising 337 healthy adults were included. Meta-analysis showed that interrupting sedentary behavior significantly reduced glucose incremental area under the curve (SMD = -0.35; 95% CI: -0.56, -0.15) and insulin incremental area under the curve (SMD = -0.37; 95% CI: -0.56, -0.18), but had no significant effect on total area under the curve for glucose, insulin, and triglycerides, nor on the incremental area for triglycerides. Interrupting sedentary behavior improves postprandial metabolism by specifically reducing the spike in blood glucose and insulin after a meal, without affecting overall metabolic exposure or lipid levels.