Walking speed influenced the risk of type 2 diabetes

Brisk walking can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The risk of the disease is reduced at walking speeds of 4 km/h and above. The most pronounced risk reduction was observed among participants with walking speeds above 6.4 km/h.

Researchers from Imperial College London, Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran and New University College Oslo evaluated the effect of walking speed on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The results of the study were published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes was reduced by 15% when walking speed was 3.2-4.8 km/h compared to slow walking (less than 3.2 km/h). If the walking speed was 4.8-6.4 km/h, the likelihood of the disease was reduced by 24%. In the case of fast walking (more than 6.4 km/h), the risk of developing diabetes was reduced by 39%.

At the same time, the scientists found no effect of the level of total physical activity and duration of walking on the risk of the disease among participants in different subgroups. Analysis of the dose-dependent effect showed that the risk of type 2 diabetes was significantly reduced when walking speed increased above 4 km/h.

The researchers analyzed PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL, and Web of Science databases and identified ten studies that evaluated the effect of walking speed on the likelihood of type 2 diabetes.