Aerobics and Strength Training Helps Control Blood Sugar Levels in Diabetics: Study

Combining aerobic exercises with high intense workouts help diabetics manage their blood glucose levels, finds a study.

Aerobic exercises increase oxygen metabolism to supply energy while performing. Strength training that involves weight lifting boosts endurance and muscle power. A research team, led by Lukas Schwingshackl from the University of Vienna, Austria examined data from 14 studies involving more than 900 people with type-2 diabetes. They found these participants were able to attain normal blood glucose levels by undergoing aerobic and endurance training. Their study analyzed the effects of both workouts - separately and combined - in controlling blood pressure, weight and cholesterol, reports the Health Day News.

It was observed that doing both aerobics and strength training, particularly increased the level of good cholesterol and brought down blood sugar in patients with diabetes. In addition, the authors found these benefits occurred among those who engaged in combined workout sessions that were supervised by trainers, rather than those who followed unsupervised exercising regime. But, not many individuals in the reviewed trials had the option of undergoing intense physical training.

"Combined aerobic and resistance training can be recommended as part of a lifestyle program in the management of type 2 diabetes wherever possible," said Schwingshackl, reports the Health Day News.

Diabetic patients are at the risk of developing other serious health conditions like obesity and heart diseases if they fail to control their sugar and cholesterol levels. Doing right form of exercises and practicing healthy lifestyle habits avert their chances of dying young from diseases.

"Both aerobic and resistance activity are capable of reducing blood glucose. Resistance training builds muscles and thereby increases glucose utilization through increased muscle mass," said Gerald Bernstein, director of the Diabetes Management Program at the Friedman Diabetes Institute, who was not involved in research, reports the Health Day News.

"Aerobic training burns glucose on the spot. Most importantly, some type of exercise regularly performed makes a big difference in management of blood glucose and reduced risk for complications," added Bernstein.

The authors believe in investigating more to accurately confirm the combined efficacy of aerobics and strength training.  

More information is available online in the journal Diabetologia.