Effects of short-bout accumulated physical activity and sedentary-break interventions on continuous glucose monitoring metrics in adults with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Glycated hemoglobin does not fully capture postprandial hyperglycemia or intraday glycemic fluctuation, whereas continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) characterizes mean glucose, hyperglycemic exposure, and glycemic variability. Short-bout accumulated physical activity and sedentary-break interventions are low-burden strategies that can be integrated into daily routines, but their overall effects on CGM-derived outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes remain uncertain. We systematically reviewed and quantitatively synthesized these effects. Methods: We searched 11 bibliographic and registry sources from inception to 29 July 2026, after an initial eight-database search through 4 June 2026. Randomized and controlled crossover trials were eligible. We retained the original broad eligibility criteria and examined a narrower Results: Thirteen studies were included; 10 studies (175 participants) contributed to the overall mean-glucose synthesis. Short-bout activity reduced mean glucose (MD = -0.71 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.28 to -0.13; Conclusion: Short-bout accumulated physical activity may reduce CGM-derived mean glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes. Although effects remained favorable across correlation, model, arm-selection, and leave-one-out analyses, considerable heterogeneity and a prediction interval that included the null value (no effect) limit confidence in the effect expected in a new setting. Evidence for other glycemic outcomes and safety remains uncertain. Systematic Review Registration: www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier CRD420261415265.