More minutes of physical activity (PA) accumulated during a day are associated with a lower risk of diabetes mellitus type 2. However, it is less known if distinct dimensions of PA can produce a different protective effect in the prevention of prediabetes. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of work and recreational PA on prediabetes among U.S. adults during the period 2015–2016 using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. Individuals (n = 4481) with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test values of 5.7% to 6.4% were included. A logistic regression multivariate-adjusted analysis was conducted to estimate the association between the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of prediabetes, with work and recreational PA. The prevalence of prediabetes among U.S. adults was lower in physically active individuals both at work (~24%) and recreational (~21%) physical activities compared to individuals who were not physically active (27 to 30%). Individuals lacking practice of recreational PA had a high risk of prediabetes (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.080 to 1.466). PA may be a protective factor for prediabetes conditions depending on gender, age, ethnic group, waist circumference, and thyroid disease.

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