Research findings by Professor Takeshi Hashimoto and others have been published online in Scientific Reports

A research paper co-authored by Professor Takeshi Hashimoto (RARA Associate Fellow) with Mr. Kaito Hashimoto, a second-year master’s student of the Graduate School of Sport and Health Science, and others has been published in Scientific Reports.

Postprandial hyperglycemia is a significant factor that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and dementia, and its suppression is vitally important for maintaining health. Exercise is widely known to be effective in controlling blood glucose levels, and a 30-min walk 30 min after meals has been recommended. However, many people may find it difficult to continue 30-min walk after every meal due to their busy lifestyles.

In this study, 12 healthy young adults were compared under three conditions: rest, 10-min walk immediately after a meal, and 30-min walk 30 min after a meal, which has hitherto been recommended. The results indicated that even a 10-min walk, when started immediately after a meal, significantly suppressed the rise, mean, and peak in blood glucose levels for two hours following the meal.

The findings of this study demonstrate the efficacy of a “short-duration, versatile exercise regimen” that can be easily incorporated into daily life. It is expected to serve as a simple and practical strategy that can be applied to individuals who find it difficult to engage in prolonged exercise, such as pregnant women and the elderly. Furthermore, these findings provide new scientific evidence supporting the “Plus Ten” campaign recommended in the Japanese official physical activity guidelines, “Active Guide,” which encourages people to add 10 min of physical activity to their daily routine as a measure to counter postprandial hyperglycemia.

Paper title: Positive impact of a 10-min walk immediately after glucose intake on postprandial glucose levels
Authors: Kaito Hashimoto, Kento Dora, Yoshino Murakami, Teppei Matsumura, I. Wayan Yuuki, Su Yang & Takeshi Hashimoto
Publication journal: Scientific Reports
Publication date (online): July 2, 2025 (local time)
URL: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-07312-y