We grew up with the idea that to stay fit it was enough to “go for a jog”. But science, today, presents us with a fact that will make those who love the barbell more than running shoes smile: training with weights can be even more effective than running in preventing diabetes.
This is according to a study by Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, which discovered how resistance exercises – those that work the muscles, such as lifting weights or doing push-ups – improve the body’s ability to manage sugars and fats, much more than classic aerobic activity.
Lift, not just run
To reach this conclusion, the researchers fed some mice a high-fat diet, mimicking human obesity and insulin resistance. Then they divided them into two groups:
one ran on the wheel (an animal version of the treadmill), the other had to push a heavy door to access the food, a bit like doing squats to earn dinner.
After a few weeks, both groups were better: less fat, more stable blood sugar, more efficient insulin. But the “trained” group surprised everyone. Zhen Yan, director of the Center for Exercise Medicine Research at Virginia Tech, explained:
Both running and weightlifting improve metabolism, but lifting stands up to the test of glucose better.
In particular, the mice who “strengthened” lost more visceral fat – the fat that surrounds the organs and increases the risk of diabetes – and learned to “clean” excess sugar from the blood better. An effect not only linked to the increase in muscles, but also to changes in the way tissues communicate with the metabolism.
Strength training: good news for those who don’t like running (and not only)
Translated into human language: you don’t need to spend hours running to keep your blood sugar at bay. Even a short but constant workout with weights, elastic bands or floor exercises can have powerful effects on sugar control. And the news is excellent especially for those who cannot – or do not like – doing prolonged cardio.
The message is simple: if you can, combine both. But if you can’t run, weight lifting is already an excellent defense against diabetes.
In fact, experts recommend alternating resistance and cardio exercises, for a combined effect on the heart, muscles and metabolism.
The body, after all, is a machine that works best when all its mechanisms are used.
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