Repeated 3-minute stair climbing-descending exercise after a meal over 2 weeks increases serum 1,5-anhydroglucitol levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Only seven men were studied, all Japanese, aged 60 to 75, with type 2 diabetes and no complications, so results may not apply to women, younger people, more severe diabetes, obesity, or people with complications. There was no control group, so it cannot be determined whether the change was due to stair exercise, time, medication, diet, or natural variation. Adherence was self-reported and was 73% ± 27%, so the effect of the intended full program is uncertain. The participants continued oral diabetes medication and medical nutritional therapy, so the contribution of stair exercise alone cannot be separated. Safety in older, obese, or complicated populations was not evaluated, and stair exercise may increase fall risk in those groups.

Do not treat the 11.5% rise in a glucose-spike marker as proof that stair climbing alone improves diabetes control. Participants also continued diabetes medication and diet therapy, the study had only seven men and no control group, and fasting glucose and insulin resistance did not change significantly.