Habitual Physical Activity and Glucose Tolerance: Males Age 16–64 in a Total Community

The data being reported are part of an epidemiologic study of health and disease in an entire community, Tecumseh, Michigan. Approximately 1,300 males age 16–65 were classified into three groups on the basis of their habitual leisure and occupational physical activity. A blood sample was drawn one hour after a glucose challenge and analyzed for glucose concentration. A measure of body fatness (sum of four skinfolds) was also available on the men. Glucose concentration of the three physical activity groups was compared by analyses of variance within narrow age groups. There was no significant relationship between glucose tolerance and habitual physical activity. There was a slight, but in some age groups significant, relationship between glucose tolerance and body fatness. The population was then divided within each age group into subgroups (thirds) by sum of skinfolds. The analysis was repeated in each age-fatness group. Glucose tolerance was better in the active men but only among the leanest subgroup of subjects.