PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine whether reductions in sitting time through alternating 30-min bouts of sitting and standing can reduce postprandial glucose, insulin, and triglyceride responses. METHODS: Twenty-three overweight/obese sedentary office workers (17 males and six females; mean +/- SD age 48.2 +/- 7.9 yr; body mass index 29.6 +/- 4.0 kg/m2) undertook two short-term (5 d) experimental conditions in an equal, randomized (1:1) order. In a simulated office environment, participants performed typical occupational tasks for 8 h/d while in a (1) seated work posture (control condition) or (2) interchanging between a seated and standing work posture every 30 min using an electric, height-adjustable workstation (intervention condition). Fasting and postprandial blood samples after a mixed test drink were collected hourly for 4 h on days 1 and 5 of each condition to assess serum insulin, plasma glucose, and triglycerides. Dietary intake (kJ/d) and physical activity were standardized during each condition. The trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12611000632998). RESULTS: After adjustment for time (days 1 and 5), incremental area under the analyte time curve differed significantly between conditions for plasma glucose (p = 0.007) but not for serum insulin or plasma triglycerides. Adjusted mean glucose incremental area under the analyte time curve was lowered by 11.1% after the intervention condition (6.38 mM/h (confidence interval 5.04 to 7.71)) relative to the control condition (7.18 mM/h (confidence interval 5.85 to 8.52)). No temporal changes (days 1 versus 5) between conditions were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Alternating standing and sitting in 30-min bouts results in modest beneficial effects on postprandial glucose responses in overweight/obese office workers.

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