The Efficacy of Soleus Push-Up in Individuals with Prediabetes: A Pilot Study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Non-randomized within-subject controlled pilot study
PubMed 40137805 · doi:10.3390/sports13030081
What was done
Ten individuals with prediabetes (mean age 53.3 ± 2.7 years; 4 females, 6 males) completed two 2-hour oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT). First, participants underwent a baseline sedentary OGTT. During a subsequent OGTT, participants performed seated soleus push-up (SPU) exercise either with or without electromyographic (EMG) feedback. Blood glucose concentrations were measured every 15 minutes across the 2-hour test periods.
What was found
Performing the soleus push-up during the OGTT resulted in an approximate 32% reduction in postprandial glucose excursion compared with the sedentary baseline condition. This reduction occurred regardless of whether EMG biofeedback was provided.
Why it matters
This pilot study indicates that seated, low-effort soleus contractions can significantly attenuate acute postprandial glucose spikes in prediabetic individuals, offering a low-barrier physical activity strategy for metabolic management without specialized equipment.
Limits
The study was very small (n = 10) and used a fixed-order, non-randomized testing sequence. Only acute 2-hour glucose responses were assessed; long-term glycemic control (such as HbA1c), insulin dynamics, and feasibility of sustained adherence in everyday work or home environments were not evaluated.