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Tests activity breaks and post-meal walking for blood sugar in breast cancer survivors

Tests short activity breaks against walking in breast cancer survivors.

Key facts

Who runs it
University of Toronto
Where
Toronto, CanadaSee the site
Trial code
Registry title
Alternative Physical Activity Strategies for Breast Cancer Survivors
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
24 people, planned
Started
22 Oct 2024
Planned end
1 Jul 2026
Type of study
Interventional, 5 groups
Treatments tested
  • Standard Physical Activity - Fasted
  • Standard Physical Activity - Post-Meal
  • Dispersed Physical Activity
  • Physical Activity Snacks
  • Muscle Strengthening
Record updated
2 December 2025

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for sedentary postmenopausal women with a body mass index of 25 or more. Some have stage I-III breast cancer and take aromatase inhibitors; others have no history of cancer.

Sex
Women only (postmenopausal)
Disease stage
Stage I, II or III breast cancer for the cancer group
Earlier treatment
Using aromatase inhibitors (AI) for at least 3 months before the study starts

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Cannot get medical clearance from a doctor to start exercise
  • Uses diabetes drugs (for example insulin, Ozempic, metformin) or lost more than 5 kg (11 lb) in the past 3 months
  • Has an injury or other reason not to complete a 30-minute continuous walk or muscle strengthening exercise
  • Cannot reach an Ontario Lifelabs location for an overnight fasted blood draw
  • No compatible smartphone, or cannot read the consent form or communicate in English

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 8 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Postmenopausal biological females diagnosed with stage I, II, or III breast cancer and currently using aromatase inhibitors (AI) for at least 3 months prior to start of study participation
  • All participants must meet the following criteria:; Body mass index equal to or greater than 25 kg/m\^2; Self-report consuming three main meals daily; Self-report as being sedentary (i.e., less than 30 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic physical activity and less than twice/week muscle strengthening of major muscle groups in the last three months

Who cannot take part

  • Using drugs for diabetes management (e.g., exogenous insulin, Ozempic, metformin, etc.) or actively losing weight (i.e., >5 kg weight loss in past 3 months) from drugs or other reasons
  • If unable or unwilling to receive medical clearance by a physician after being screened for major signs or symptoms of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or renal disease and safety to initiate exercise; Major signs or symptoms of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or renal disease are taken from the American College of Sports Medicine's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription 11th edition Table 2.1. They include pain or discomfort in the chest, neck, jaw, arms with rest or exercise, shortness of breath at rest or with mild exertion, dizziness or syncope, ankle edema, palpitations or tachycardia, intermittent claudication, known heart murmur, and unusual fatigue with usual activities; Safety to initiate exercise will be screened using the Get Active Questionnaire, which is the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology's endorsed evidence-based pre-screening tool
  • Report any injury or other reason for not feeling capable of completing a 30 minute continuous walk or muscle strengthening exercise
  • Unable to access an Ontario Lifelabs location for an overnight fasted blood draw
  • Do not have a smartphone compatible with the applications required to collect data
  • Cannot read and understand the consent form or communicate in English

Where in Canada

  • Remote Ontario-wideToronto, CanadaContact: Amy A Kirkham, PhDTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

The primary aim of this study is to compare the acute glycemic effects of two novel, alternative physical activity (PA) strategies (dispersed post-meal PA, PA snacks) to a no PA condition and to exercise sessions representing the PA guidelines (standard 30-minute walking bout performed under fasting and under postprandial conditions and a standard 30-minute resistance training session) among sedentary breast cancer survivors who are currently receiving hormone therapies and age- and BMI-matched postmenopausal women without a history of cancer. The secondary aim is to determine whether the alternative PA strategies are acceptable and feasible in the free-living setting. An exploratory aim is to determine whether the outcomes differ between women with and without a history of breast cancer and use of aromatase inhibitors.

Read full original descriptionShow less

The investigators hypothesize that:

1. Dispersed PA and PA snacks will result in greater reductions in 24-hour glucose and postprandial glucose compared to the no-PA baseline and similar reductions to a standard 30-minute bouts of walking; 2. The alternative PA strategies will be more feasible and have greater acceptability by cancer survivors compared to the standard 30-minute bout of walking or resistance training; and 3. The different PA strategies will have similar effects on glycemic outcomes for both breast cancer survivors and cancer-free controls. The resistance exercise session is an exploratory trial as the effects of it on acute glycemic control are understudied.

The 5 groups in the trial

  • Standard Physical Activity - FastedTreatment being tested

    Participants will perform 30 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace 15 minutes prior to consumption of first meal in the morning (including cream/sugar/milk in coffee or tea).

  • Standard Physical Activity - Post-MealTreatment being tested

    Participants will perform 30 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace 30 minutes after the start of the first meal in the morning.

  • Dispersed Physical ActivityTreatment being tested

    Participants will perform 10 minutes of walking at a self-selected pace 30 minutes after the start of each main meal throughout the day (i.e., three bouts total).

  • Physical Activity SnacksTreatment being tested

    Participants will perform 2 minutes of walking or marching on the spot at a self-selected pace every 30 minutes throughout the day for 7.5 waking hours.

  • Muscle StrengtheningTreatment being tested

    Participants will perform 30 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises targeting the major muscle groups of the whole body performed by following along with a video, to start 30 minutes after the start of the first meal in the morning.

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Alternative Physical Activity Strategies for Breast and Prostate Cancer Survivors
Plain-language title
Tests activity breaks and post-meal walking for blood sugar in breast cancer survivorsGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
Record updated
2 December 2025