According to the American Diabetes Association, type 2 diabetes is the most common form and affects millions of Americans. Type 2 diabetes occurs when not enough insulin, a hormone that converts glucose into energy, is produced by the body, or the body is not responding to insulin being produced. Since two risk factors contributing to type 2 diabetes are inactivity and obesity, a fitness routine that includes weight training is beneficial.
Research
Because the pancreas is not producing enough insulin to break up sugar in the body, or the body has become insulin-resistant, blood sugar must be controlled through testing, diet and both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. The New York Times reviewed a study that shows a person with type 2 diabetes can significantly lower his blood sugar with an exercise routine that includes weight lifting. This study, published in "The Journal of the American Medical Association," showed that people who did a combination of both aerobic exercise and weight lifting had lower blood sugar levels than those who did aerobic exercise without resistance training.
Expert Insight
To decrease the risk of cardiovascular complications for those suffering from type 2 diabetes, the American Heart Association recommends one and a half hours a week of intense exercise and two and a half hours a week of moderate exercise such as resistance training. Weight training helps to control blood glucose levels. When starting out, a person with type 2 diabetes should complete one to two sets of each weight training exercise involving the upper and lower body, suggests Jeffrey Janot, M.S. and Len Kravitz, Ph.D. in their article "Training Clients With Diabetes."
Considerations
Due to the increase in obesity in America, there has been a spike in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in adults and even children. Because weight training builds lean muscle mass and raises the body's metabolic rate, it helps control fat gain and blood sugar levels. By adding weight training to your workout routine, you can prevent or slow the development of type 2 diabetes. Resistance training my also contribute to a decreased need in the amount of medicine to control diabetes-related risk factors.
Benefits
Weight training provides health benefits to all people, but especially those with diabetes because it helps increase the body's sensitivity to insulin. One of the causes of type 2 diabetes is that the body has become resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas and therefore glucose is not converted into energy. Increased sensitivity to insulin helps the body regulate its own blood sugar. In addition, weight training increases mineral density in the bones, overall strength and muscle mass. These combined benefits contribute to enhancing the body's glycemic control function, writes Diabetes Care.
References
- The New York Times: Exercise: For Type 2 Diabetes, 2 Types of Training
- MayoClinic.com: Type 2 diabetes: Causes
- The University of New Mexico: Training Clients With Diabetes
- American Heart Association: Diabetes patients should have regular exercise, weight training
- Diabetes Care: Resistance Training and Type 2 Diabetes
