Diabetes Prevention Linked to Specific Type of Exercise, Study Finds
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New research suggests that lifting weights may be more effective than walking on the treadmill when it comes to controlling blood sugar and preventing diabetes.
A team at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute has found that resistance training, such as weight lifting or bodyweight exercises, can improve how the body manages sugar and fat.
To understand how different types of exercise affect metabolism, researchers fed mice a high-fat diet to mimic human obesity and insulin resistance, which are two major risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
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They divided the mice into two training groups: resistance trainers who ran on a wheel and strength trainers who had to lift a weighted door to get their food, which mimicked squatting under increasing loads.
After several weeks, both exercise groups showed big health benefits compared to sedentary mice, including less body fat, better blood sugar control and more efficient use of insulin, but the “weightlifting” mice came out ahead.
Mice that “lifted weights” controlled blood sugar better than those that ran, even on a high-fat diet. (iStock)
“Our data showed that both running and weight lifting reduce fat in the abdomen and under the skin, and improve blood glucose maintenance, with better insulin signaling in skeletal muscle,” Zhen Yan, professor and director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute of the VTC Exercise Medicine Research Center, said in a news release.
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“Importantly, weightlifting surpasses running in terms of these health benefits.”
The weight-lifting mice not only burned more fat under the skin, but also reduced the most dangerous visceral fat, which wraps around internal organs and increases the risk of diabetes.
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They also cleared blood sugar more effectively than the runners.
Lifting weights didn’t just make the mice stronger: their bodies also handled sugar more efficiently and resisted diabetes. (iStock)
These benefits weren’t simply because they built more muscle, the researchers found: Resistance workouts also triggered unique changes in metabolism and muscle signaling that helped control glucose levels more efficiently.
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While this research was conducted in mice and not humans, it adds to a growing body of evidence showing that strength training is a powerful tool for metabolic health.
It could also be encouraging for people who can’t do long cardio sessions, highlighting how resistance training can offer a good alternative.
Scientists say combining cardiovascular and strength training may offer the best results for long-term metabolic health. (iStock)
“The findings also bring good news for people who, for various reasons, cannot perform resistance exercises,” Yan said. “Weight training has equal, if not better, antidiabetic benefits.”
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Researchers recommend combining cardiovascular and strength training for best results, creating a balanced approach that targets the heart, muscles, and metabolism.
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“The bottom line is that, if possible, resistance and endurance exercises should be done for the greatest health benefit,” Yan added.
The study was published in the Journal of Sports and Health Sciences.
Khloe Quill is a lifestyle production assistant at News Digital. She and the lifestyle team cover a range of topics including food and drink, travel and health.