New research shows that just one training session of interval weight exercise can decrease the risk of Type 2 diabetes complications, which is good news for people whose New Year's resolutions are to get in shape. Simple leg exercises with weights can improve blood vessel function for people, regardless of suffering from diabetes or not.
Investing in weightlifting training has been proven to be extremely helpful for building muscle mass and, additionally, speeding the metabolism. However, this new research points toward another major benefit, which can motivate people suffering from diabetes to get in better shape.
Weightlifting, Efficient For Type 2 Diabetes Patients
The study, published Nov. 2016, in the journal American Journal of Physiology: Heart and Circulatory Physiology, shows that training with weights can significantly improve blood function, even after one session, which is further correlated with a smaller chance of developing heart disease.
"Individuals with Type 2 diabetes are up to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those without. After completion of just one bout of exercise, we saw an improvement in blood vessel function, an indicator of heart health and heart attack risk," noted Jonathan Little, an assistant professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC Okanagan.
Further research could focus on transforming this information into an effective set of exercises, which could be an extraordinary low-cost therapy for people who already suffer from diabetes and an equally efficient prevention for people who are at risk of developing the condition.
As part of the research, the lead author investigated two different types of interval training: resistance and cardiovascular. The first usually incorporates exercises such as leg press, extensions, and lifts, while the second one can be completed with a stationary bicycle. Blood vessel function was the indicator the scientists focused on as to determine the efficiency of these exercises.
Both types of exercises were alternated with high and low-intensity effort, and the subjects were divided into three groups: people who suffered from Type 2 diabetes, people who don't usually exercise, and people who do exercise and do not have diabetes.
"All exercisers showed greater blood vessel function improvement after the resistance-based interval training. However, this was most prominent in the Type 2 diabetes group," said Monique Francois, the co-author of the study.
Resistance training was used in this research, as it doesn't need a preexisting routine in order to be completed.
Type 2 Diabetes Prevalence
"The rate of new cases of diagnosed diabetes in the United States has begun to fall, but the numbers are still very high. More than 29 million Americans are living with diabetes, and 86 million are living with prediabetes, a serious health condition that increases a person's risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases," notes a CDC factsheet for 2016.
Among the categories of people who are at greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, overweight people, individuals over the age of 45, people who have a family history of the disease, or people who are not physically active at least three times a week are the most exposed.
The new research suggests that exercising regularly, especially with weights, could prevent the disease from installing in the body.
