Type 2 Diabetes 2 Step Mediation

Pump iron and jog to manage Type 2 diabetes

Adeceptively simple exercise routine could significantly improve the health of people suffering from diabetes, a Canadian study suggests.

The key to its success is using two types of exercise, rather than just one.

The study found that diabetics who combined endurance exercises (such as brisk walking or jogging) with strength training (like weightlifting) saw their blood-sugar levels improve at twice the rate of those who only did one form of exercise.

People with Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, either don't produce enough insulin or their bodies cannot use it effectively, a condition known as insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that plays a major role in moving glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into the body's tissues, where it is needed for energy. As a result of insulin resistance, glucose levels build up in the bloodstream which, in turn, can lead to heart disease, blindness and kidney damage.

Doctors have long known that regular workouts help to control blood-sugar levels. But there was very little research on what exercises work best to manage the disease, which afflicts two million Canadians.

The new Canadian study, by researchers at the University of Calgary and the University of Ottawa, suggests that a combo approach appears to offer clear benefits.

Ron Sigal, who led the study, speculated that endurance (also known as aerobic) exercises combined with strength (resistance) training worked on muscles in different but complementary ways that led to an overall improvement in blood-sugar levels.

"It makes insulin work better and makes the muscle use more glucose," said Dr. Sigal of the University of Calgary.

Although the approach sounds easy, he cautioned diabetics who are in poor shape not to jump into a new exercise routine without first talking to their own doctors.

Source: The Globe and Mail.com