PURPOSE: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a major precursor to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Conventional glycemic markers such as fasting glucose and HbA1c do not capture dynamic glucose fluctuations. This review examines the metabolic risks associated with glycemic variability (GV) in adults with MS and explores the potential of breaking up prolonged sitting and the soleus push-up (SPU).METHODS: A narrative review was conducted using Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar for literature published from January 2000 and August 2025. Search terms included “glycemic variability,” “metabolic syndrome,” “breaking up prolonged sitting,” “continuous glucose monitoring (CGM),” and “SPU.” Evidence regarding GV was limited to studies involving MS, while studies in broader populations included to contextualize mechanisms of sedentary interruption strategies.RESULTS: GV is independently linked to oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and inflammation, contributing to elevated diabetes and cardiovascular risks in MS. CGM studies generally report higher GV indices in MS than in metabolically healthy adults, although findings for coefficient of variation and mean amplitude of glucose excursions are inconsistent. Prolonged sedentary behavior worsens postprandial glycemia, whereas interrupting sitting with light walking or standing consistently improves postprandial glucose and, in some trials, lowers mean glucose or iAUC without uniform changes in GV metrics. Emerging evidence suggests that SPU, utilizing the high oxidative capacity of the soleus muscle, reduces postprandial glucose and hyperinsulinemia with minimal fatigue, with additional potential benefits for lipid metabolism.CONCLUSIONS: Breaking up prolonged sitting is a practical strategy to attenuate postprandial dysglycemia, and SPU represents a promising sedentary-interruption modality. However, evidence on its direct effects on GV in MS is limited, underscoring the need for large-scale randomized trials.
Lee et al. (2026) studied this question.