A steady blood sugar balance is key to maximising your energy and reducing your risk of health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes.
We always take an evidence-based approach and aim to provide you with actionable knowledge and tips to help you on your journey to optimal health. In this article we’ll look at the relationship between exercise and blood sugar control.
We’re constantly being told exercise is good for us, and it makes sense that increasing your physical activity can help keep you at a healthy weight, protect your bones and improve your cardiovascular health. But science also tells us there is a link between exercise and how your body handles glucose. Disordered blood sugar levels are closely connected with weight management, so let’s find out how exercise can help you both manage your weight and control your blood glucose levels.
The link between exercise and blood sugar balance
Insulin is the hormone which helps manage your blood sugar levels. It’s secreted by the pancreas and tells your body’s cells to take on board glucose to utilise as energy.
Your body’s cells can vary in terms of sensitivity to insulin; insulin resistance can develop if the cells start ignoring insulin’s message to take glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells. It’s a bit like someone knocking on an unanswered door – just as the tendency is for the caller to knock louder, so increasing amounts of insulin are released to try and encourage the cells to respond.
If this situation continues, it can put you at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
How does exercise improve blood sugar control?
When our muscles contract, they are better able to take up glucose from the blood. A lack of exercise favours the accumulation of fat in muscle and liver cells, making them less able to respond to the message insulin is bringing (1).
Exercise has been found to increase the levels of a protein which allows glucose to enter fat cells to help with energy generation. In other words, exercise increases tissue sensitivity to insulin.
We know a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.
Which type of exercise is best?
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HIIT
High intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of exercise characterised by short bursts of intensive training – putting in as much effort as you possibly can – interspersed with rest periods. A bonus of HIIT is you don’t need to exercise for very long to achieve positive results.
Studies have consistently shown HIIT improves the sensitivity of cells to insulin by between 23% and 58%. The decrease in insulin resistance is typically higher in people who have developed Type 2 diabetes than in healthy people, although even in healthy people sensitivity has been shown to increase by around one quarter (2).
Even as little as 15 minutes of HIIT, carried out three times per week over a two week period, was shown to improve insulin activity for at least three days after each session. Each session consisted of four to six 30 second bouts of cycle sprinting with rest periods of two to four minutes. This improvement was seen independently of any change in body weight.
Engaging in HIIT over eight weeks has been found to reduce abdominal fat by an impressive 48% – abdominal fat is strongly linked with insulin resistance.
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Aerobic exercise
Although weight loss is important to increase insulin sensitivity, maintaining an exercise regime after weight has been lost is important too. One study found that if participants participated in an aerobic exercise programme, they had better insulin sensitivity as long as one year after the weight loss, compared to those who didn’t exercise but still maintained their weight at the same level (3).
This shows aerobic exercise, as well as HIIT, can be beneficial in managing blood glucose levels.
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Strength training
Although this type of exercise has not been researched as extensively for its effect on insulin sensitivity, studies have found benefits in blood sugar control both over the short and long term, especially when strength training is combined with aerobic exercise (4).
How much exercise is beneficial?
Studies have shown improvements in blood sugar control with at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Current UK Government advice is at least this amount of moderate aerobic activity each week. This includes exercise like brisk walking or cycling. If the physical activity is vigorous, such as running or a game of singles tennis, at least 75 minutes per week is recommended. Strength exercises on two or more days per week are also recommended.
As we’ve seen above, short boosts of high intensity activity may give even better results.
If this seems daunting, researchers calculated that as little as an extra five minutes of vigorous exercise each day could increase insulin sensitivity by as much as 15%.
Follow these tips to include more exercise in your day
- Walk whenever you can. Talk to colleagues in person at work rather than sending an email. Don’t sit at your desk for more than an hour without getting up – set an alarm if you need to remind yourself. Go outside for a walk during your lunch break if possible.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get off the bus a stop or two earlier on your way to work.
- Choose an exercise you enjoy, otherwise you probably won’t stick to it, but don’t be afraid to try new ones to challenge your body. You never know, you may discover a new exercise you love! Don’t restrict yourself to the gym. If you love it, fine, but many people find gyms intimidating or just plain boring. How about a dance class? Horse-riding lessons? Learning to kayak or paddle-board?
- Exercise with friends. If you make a date to exercise with another person, you’ll be less likely to pull out of the arrangement.
- Go out walking in the countryside. Use a smartphone app or an exergame – virtual gaming consoles which simulate games such as tennis and bowling – to make workouts more fun. Even simply dancing around the kitchen counts as exercise. Or tackle the garden – gardening is great at getting the blood pumping.
- Mix it up! As we’ve seen, a variety of exercise is especially beneficial for effective blood sugar balance.
- Exercise little and often. Research has shown the improvement in insulin sensitivity brought about by increased physical activity declines after a few days without exercise (5). So for better insulin sensitivity, frequent movement seems to be the key.
- Remember it’s not all-or-nothing. A little exercise is always better than none. Reward yourself if you stick to your plan, focus on consistency rather than results, and the results will come, over time.
Takeaway
Although we know about many of the beneficial effects of exercise on health, its contribution to blood sugar control is significant, but often overlooked.
Introduce some exercise into your life – seeing the benefits can motivate you to continue.
If you’d like some support, a consultation with an Amchara Personalised Health practitioner can help you develop healthy lifestyle and nutrition habits to achieve your health goals.
If you have underlying health issues, we recommend you consult a healthcare practitioner before embarking on an exercise programme.
We’re dedicated to providing you with insightful information and evidence-based content, all orientated towards the Personalised Health approach.
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