Can Exercise Eliminate Diabetes?

We know that exercise build muscles, strengthens the cardiovascular system and releases hormones that reduce stress. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise has released a study indicating that exercise could prevent or reduce type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by a high glucose level, usually found in sedentary and over weight people. There are over 60 million Americans that are predisposed to type 2 diabetes because of their weight, diet and lack of exercise. Regular participation in strength and conditioning programs with intense cardiovascular exercise, progressive resistance and flexibility training improve glucose control and reduce weight.

Exercise and Diet Reduce Diabetes

Blue Circle for Diabetes

ACUTE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE

Fuel Metabolism during Exercise

Fuel mobilization, glucose production, and muscle glycogenolysis.

The maintenance of normal BG at rest and during exercise depends largely on the coordination and integration of the sympathetic nervous and endocrine systems (250). Contracting muscles increase uptake of BG, although BG levels are usually maintained by glucose production via liver glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis and mobilization of alternate fuels, such as free fatty acids (FFA) (250,268).Several factors influence exercise fuel use, but the most important are the intensity and duration of PA (9,29,47,83,111,133,160,181,241). Any activity causes a shift from predominant reliance on FFA at rest to a blend of fat, glucose, and muscle glycogen, with a small contribution from amino acids (15,31). With increasing exercise intensity, there is a greater reliance on carbohydrate as long as sufficient amounts are available in muscle or blood (21,23,47,133). Early in exercise, glycogen provides the bulk of the fuel for working muscles. As glycogen stores become depleted, muscles increase their uptake and use of circulating BG, along with FFA released from adipose tissue (15,132,271). Intramuscular lipid stores are more readily used during longer-duration activities and recovery (23,223,270). Glucose production also shifts from hepatic glycogenolysis to enhanced gluconeogenesis as duration increases (250,268).Evidence statement. PA causes increased glucose uptake into active muscles balanced by hepatic glucose production, with a greater reliance on carbohydrate to fuel muscular activity as intensity increases. ACSM evidence category A (see Tables 1 and 2 for explanation).

This is a major health problem in the U.S.,  more programs must be implemented to teach and train the public about the dangers of obesity and lack of exercise. According to this study, one third of Americans born after 2000 will develop diabetes and maybe 50% of the “high risk ethnic populations” basically meaning people of low economic resources. Diabetes breaks down the defenses of the body and can cause blindness, problems in circulation, kidney and nerve diseases. This is a major health problem that needs to be addressed by the government and health officials. I cannot believe that in this age of technology we do not have a better system of education to inform the public about enormity of the problem and how easily it can be combated with a healthy diet and exercise.

Please read the rest of this study.

Pass this information forward, you may save someone from a life of disease and misfortune.