Blood sugar level 10%↑, ability to absorb blood sugar into muscle 24%↓
What would happen if a young man stayed in bed for two months straight?
According to a study by the University of Bath in the UK, when healthy young men lie in bed for 60 days, blood sugar levels rise by up to 10% and the body’s ability to absorb blood sugar into muscles drops by 24%.
The research was supported by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French National Space Agency (CNES). This unique study, in which healthy young men were bedridden for extended periods of time, is intended to examine the effects of physical inactivity on future space missions and life on Earth.
The research team asked 20 young men (average age 34 years) to stay in bed for two months. The average body mass index (BMI, unit kg/m2) of the participants was 23.5, which was within the normal range (18.5 to 24.9). They ate, showered, and urinated while lying on the bed with their legs slightly higher than their heads (6 degrees of tilt). The research team significantly reduced their food intake to match their energy consumption, but kept the type of food and meal time constant.
The study found that participants’ blood sugar levels rose by regarding 6% during the day and regarding 10% at night. The body’s ability to process blood sugar—that is, to absorb it into muscle—was also lowered by regarding a quarter. Participants had difficulty controlling blood sugar, which causes type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The research team said, “If the participants ate the same amount of food as usual, their blood sugar levels would be much higher.”
In a 2018 study by the research team, it was found that exercise has a great effect on blood sugar even in a short period of time. “If you are physically inactive for a long period of time, your blood sugar level will rise considerably, even if you significantly reduce your food intake to avoid gaining weight,” the research team said. In particular, he emphasized, “Giving ‘electrical stimulation’ to the leg muscles of a person who cannot move their body at all will be of great help in controlling blood sugar.”
The results of this study (The impact of physical inactivity on glucose homeostasis when diet is adjusted to maintain energy balance in healthy, young males) were published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition published by the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN), and It was introduced by the health medical media ‘Medical Express’.
