Post-meal Walking for Gestational Diabetes

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Female

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

Disqualifiers: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

90 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial examines whether walking after meals (postprandial ambulation) can help manage gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. Researchers aim to determine if walking influences the baby's birth weight and other health outcomes. Participants will either walk for 20 minutes after meals or follow standard exercise advice, with their activity tracked. This trial is for pregnant individuals with gestational diabetes who can walk and are fluent in English or Spanish. As an unphased study, it offers a unique opportunity to contribute to understanding how lifestyle changes can impact gestational diabetes management.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial does not specify if you need to stop your current medications. It mentions that participants will continue to receive routine obstetric and diabetes care, which suggests you may continue your current medications.

What prior data suggests that postprandial ambulation is safe for pregnant people with gestational diabetes?

Research has shown that walking after meals is safe for pregnant individuals with gestational diabetes. Studies focusing on this condition have found that walking after meals, whether as a single 30-minute walk or several shorter ones, is safe.

Light exercise, such as walking, is usually recommended during pregnancy, indicating minimal risk. Additionally, walking has been shown to help manage blood sugar levels in both healthy individuals and those with type 1 diabetes.

While this trial primarily examines how walking affects infant birth weight, the activity itself is generally safe and poses little to no risk for most pregnant individuals. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about postprandial ambulation for gestational diabetes because it offers a simple and accessible way to manage blood sugar levels without medication. Unlike standard recommendations that suggest routine low-impact exercise several times a week, this approach involves walking for just 20 minutes within two hours after meals. This method could integrate easily into daily life, making it potentially easier for pregnant individuals to stick with and maintain. Additionally, by timing the exercise after meals, it may more effectively target post-meal blood sugar spikes, offering a new strategy to improve glucose control.

What evidence suggests that postprandial ambulation is effective for gestational diabetes?

This trial will compare postprandial ambulation with routine exercise counseling for gestational diabetes. Research has shown that a 20-minute walk after meals can help lower blood sugar levels in women with gestational diabetes. One study found that walking at a moderate pace effectively managed blood sugar. However, another study indicated that walking after meals did not improve blood sugar levels more than following standard exercise guidelines. Additionally, there was no significant difference in birth outcomes compared to usual care. Overall, walking after meals may aid in blood sugar control, but its impact on birth outcomes remains uncertain. ^{2 6 7 8 9}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for English or Spanish-speaking pregnant individuals diagnosed with gestational diabetes in the second or third trimester, receiving care at a specific program. It's not for those with pre-existing type 1 or type 2 diabetes, early gestational diabetes diagnosis, or who can't walk due to physical limitations.

Inclusion Criteria

I have gestational diabetes and am getting care at a specific program. I speak English or Spanish.

Exclusion Criteria

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes in my first trimester.

I cannot walk or have reasons that prevent me from walking.

I have been diagnosed with diabetes (type 1 or 2).

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Randomization and Counseling

Participants are randomized into intervention or non-intervention groups and receive specific exercise counseling

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants follow assigned exercise regimen: postprandial ambulation or routine exercise counseling

Until delivery

Weekly check-ins (in-person or email)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for birth outcomes and postpartum data collection

Up to 48 hours post-birth

1 visit (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Postprandial ambulation

Trial Overview The study compares the effects of two types of exercise advice on baby birth weight in gestational diabetes: one group will be told to walk for 20 minutes after meals and another will get standard exercise counseling. Their activity is tracked via FitBit devices.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Postprandial Ambulation Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants are counseled to walk for 20 minutes within 2 hours following meals daily.

Group II: Routine exercise counseling Active Control 1 Intervention

Participants are counseled on routine ADA recommendations for 30 minutes of low-impact exercise 5 times a week

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island

Lead Sponsor

Trials

119

Recruited

59,200+

Citations

1. nature.com nature.com/articles/s41598-025-07312-y

Positive impact of a 10-min walk immediately after glucose ... A brief 10-min walk immediately after a meal appears to be an effective and feasible approach for the management of hyperglycemia.

2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38233988/

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Postmeal Walking in ... Distributing activity as 10-min bouts after main meals did not improve postprandial glucose outcomes compared with standard-care control.

3. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S258993332100135X

Postprandial interval walking—effect on blood glucose in ... This study demonstrated that 20 minutes of moderate intensity postprandial exercise can reduce glucose levels in women with GDM. Introduction. Gestational ...

4. yvm2020.authorea.com yvm2020.authorea.com/users/515562/articles/590866-diagnosis-to-delivery-a-randomised-clinical-trial-of-postmeal-walking-as-a-non-pharmacological-treatment-of-gestational-diabetes

Diagnosis to Delivery: A randomised clinical trial of ... No difference in birth outcomes. Conclusions Postmeal walking was less effective than the standard care physical activity guidelines of thirty minutes ...

5. ajogmfm.org ajogmfm.org/article/S2589-9333(21)00135-X/pdf

Postprandial interval walking—effect on blood glucose in ... This study aimed to examine the effect of 20 minutes of postprandial interval walk- ing on blood glucose in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus ( ...

6. cdnsciencepub.com cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/apnm-2021-0619

Three short postmeal walks as an alternate therapy to ... Small studies in women with gestational diabetes show that postprandial physical activity, as either one 30- or 60-minute postprandial walk, is a safe and ...

7. cdn.clinicaltrials.gov cdn.clinicaltrials.gov/large-docs/84/NCT06157684/Prot_000.pdf

Project Title: The effect of postprandial ambulation on birth ... As light exercise (walking included) is recommended in pregnancy we believe this intervention to be safe and of minimal risk. Sample size ...

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3507567/

The Effect of Walking on Postprandial Glycemic Excursion ... CONCLUSIONS. Walking significantly impacts postprandial glucose excursions in healthy populations and in those with type 1 diabetes. AEP algorithms ...

9. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831324001649

Effects of Dietary Approaches and Exercise Interventions ... Our findings suggest that the DASH diet and low GI diet, and resistance exercise may be beneficial for maternal outcomes in pregnancies with GDM.