Although research advances and new drugs are emerging, the old adage “prevention is better than cure” remains the watchword in the management of diabetes. And as such, several studies now show that exercise and weight loss are astonishingly effective.
In developed countries, the aging population associated with obesity promote the emergence of an epidemic of diabetes. Changes in lifestyle can fight against this scourge.
Healthy lifestyle is the first treatment
For patients with type 2 diabetes, the benefits of physical activity are numerous: improved insulin sensitivity, decreased glucose levels in blood and reduced cardiovascular risk. The most striking demonstration of the therapeutic efficacy of sport is undoubtedly the American study made by the University of Rockville. This study was conducted on more than 3,000 people, all showing strange anomalies in their sugar level in the blood (stage usually preceding the appearance of diabetes). Divided into three groups, they have either received a placebo (inactive product), or an antidiabetic medication or had to follow a program designed to help them lose weight with a specific diet and to practice 150 minutes of exercise per week. After just three years of follow up, 11% of placebo patients became authentic diabetes, 7.8% of those on medication and only 4.8% of those who have changed their lifestyle!
Diabetes
While conducted on fewer people, a previous study had even demonstrated that the same dietary treatment had allowed pre-diabetics to reduce the risk of becoming real diabetic by 58%.
Precautions
Like any person without diabetes, the return to sport should be done gradually with a gradual increase of effort. But diabetics should also choose a discipline according to their handicap and after consultation with a cardiologist. Some precautions should be taken:
- The diabetic must also carefully monitor his blood glucose (before, during and after exercise) to avoid hypoglycaemia, which may occur several hours after the end of the activity. Indeed, the impact continues, on average, 6 hours after the end of the effort, since the muscles are reloading there glucose level;
- Always carry sugar with you in order to respond quickly to hypoglycaemia;
- Think to hydrate yourself regularly during and after exercise;
- Being with other people and tell those about your diabetes;
- Do not engage in physical activity if you have very unbalanced diabetes;
- For pump users, reduce the bolus of the meal just before and cancel the flow during exercise and keep it decreased for 6 hours after the effort;
- Pay attention to your feet, choose quality footwear. The foot lesions should be particularly monitored in diabetics;
- For security reasons, some sports should be avoided. A diabetic collapse would be particularly dangerous while climbing, skydiving, scuba diving, etc.
But in most cases, physical activity is an integral part of the treatment of disease. Vector of social integration, the sport also helps improve the life quality of diabetics. So, go ahead and move!
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Doing sport activity prevents lots of diseases, not just diabetes.
Men and women with sort 2 diabetes already show the signs of insulin resistance just before they had diabetes or prior to they turn into obese combine with lack of exercise. The first sign is their insulin level in their blood is higher than regular individuals. The second sign comes when they’re given insulin shot, their blood glucose level did not decrease as significantly as typical people did.