Maintaining optimal blood glucose levels is key for health and well-being. From reducing the risk of diabetes to managing weight, blood glucose control plays a significant role in preventing various chronic conditions. While diet and medication are commonly associated with blood glucose regulation, one often overlooked tool is strength training.
Blood glucose, aka blood sugar, is the primary source of energy for our body's cells. It comes mainly from the carbohydrates we eat and is regulated by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps transport glucose from the bloodstream into the cells, where it is used for energy or stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles. There’s only so much glycogen we can store at a time and excessive amounts of glucose will be converted and stored as fat.
However, if the body becomes insulin resistant or does not produce enough of it, blood glucose levels can rise to dangerous levels. This condition, known as hyperglycemia, can lead to diabetes and other severe health issues, like heart disease, vision loss and kidney damage.
Resistance training - remembering there are different ways to do it - not only strengthens our muscles and bones, it also can be really helpful to control blood sugar levels.
There are 3 ways strength training helps:
1) Increased Insulin Sensitivity: Regular resistance training has been found to increase insulin sensitivity. This means that the cells become more responsive to insulin's signals, leading to better glucose uptake and utilization by the muscles.
2) Glucose Regulation: Resistance training can help regulate blood glucose levels during and after exercise. As muscles contract during resistance exercises, they use glucose for energy, effectively reducing blood glucose concentrations. High-intensity training promotes better benefits than low-to-moderate training(1).
3) Enhanced Metabolism: Building and maintaining muscle mass through resistance training elevates basal metabolic rate (BMR). A higher BMR means the body burns more calories even at rest, leading to better blood glucose control and potential weight loss.
Resistance training may be even more important than losing weight. Older adults who lose weight and lift weights have lower HbA1c levels than those who only lose weight (2), for example.
Do you need to lift every day to have benefits? Probably not. The ACSM recommends adults and older adults to do some form of resistance training 2-3x/week. We don’t know for sure if more is better, but we definitely know that less is worse. So if you’re looking to improve your blood glucose levels, it’s time to hit the gym!
1- PMID: 35029593
2- PMID: 12351469
Awesome, as always! A concise summary that is easy to read, with references. Thank you!