Leisure-time physical activity at weekends and the risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Japanese men: the Osaka Health Survey

Aims To investigate association between leisure-time physical activity at weekends and the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods Prospective examination of 6013 Japanese men aged 35-60 years who were free of DM, impaired fasting glycaemia, or hypertension at study entry. Type 2 DM was defined by a fasting plasma glucose level greater than or equal to 7.0 mmol/l or a 2-h post-load plasma glucose level greater than or equal to 11.1 mmol/l. Data on physical activity obtained from questionnaires consisted of overall leisure-time physical activity weekly and leisure-time physical activity at weekends. Results During the 59 966 person-years follow-up, 444 cases developed Type 2 DM. Regular physical exercise at least once a week was associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 DM. After adjustments for age, body mass index, daily alcohol consumption, smoking habits, blood pressure levels and a parental history of Type 2 DM, men who engaged in regular physical exercise at least once a week had a relative risk of Type 2 DM of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.61-0.93) compared with men engaging in exercise less often. Even vigorous activity only once a week at weekends was associated with a reduced risk of Type 2 DM. Men who engaged in vigorous activity at least once a week at weekends had a multiple-adjusted relative risk of Type 2 DM of 0.55 (95% CI, 0.35-0.88) compared with sedentary men. Conclusions Regular physical exercise at least once a week and vigorous activity even only once a week at weekends are associated with a decreased risk of Type 2 DM.