Relationship between ambulatory activity and markers of insulin resistance in young Hispanic women

Study examined the relationship between steps/day and markers of insulin resistance in young, Hispanic women (n=37; age: 30.0 ± 6.5 y; BMI: 28.3 ± 7.0 kg/m 2 ). Height, weight, and fasting concentrations of glucose, insulin, and adiponectin were measured. Insulin sensitivity was calculated according to the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) method. Participants wore a pedometer (Yamax SW‐200) for 7‐days and average steps/day was calculated. Pearson correlation coefficients examined the relationship between steps/day and concentrations of glucose, insulin, adiponectin, and QUICKI. Participants were separated into three activity groups based on average steps/day. One‐way ANOVA was performed to examine differences in markers of insulin resistance across the three activity groups. Steps/day were negatively associated with glucose (r=−0.35, p=0.04) and insulin (r=−0.46, p<0.01); steps/day were positively associated with adiponectin (r=0.42, p=0.01) and QUICKI (r=0.51, p<0.01). The lowest activity group (≤ 5974 steps/day) had significantly higher mean insulin and lower QUICKI values compared to the other activity groups. Adiponectin concentrations were higher in the group with the greatest number of steps/day (>8086 steps/day). In this study, greater ambulatory activity (steps/day) was associated with more favorable markers of insulin resistance.