Doctors have recently started turning to sports as a method of treatment that will relieve symptoms of some diseases.
There is no doubt that the multiplicity of types of sports and the diversity of its forms, makes them have multiple benefits, the therapeutic value of which varies according to the type of disease and its different degrees, so today we will shed light on the best types of exercises for diabetics and cases of insulin resistance . Exercise is divided into two main types:
- Aerobic exercise: Relies on oxygen consumption to a large extent.
- Anaerobic exercises: do not rely on oxygen consumption.
Anaerobic exercise keeps our breathing well and is slower than aerobic exercise. Therefore, its exercise does not require a large consumption of oxygen inside the body.
They depend on the consumption of glucose for energy without using oxygen. There are many examples of anaerobic exercises such as:
- Sprint (fast walking)
- Weight lifting (lifting weights)
- Jump rope
- Cycling
Aerobic exercises require high effort and a large amount of oxygen, so they deplete our ability to breathe, as they burn glycogen or sugar stores in the first twenty minutes of exercise, and then move to burning fat afterwards.
Aerobic exercises may turn into anaerobic exercises depending on the height of the intensity and the increase in the effort exerted during the exercise. It is required that the intensity be very high.
How does anaerobic exercise help diabetics:
The body needs oxygen in order to burn sugars and fats and produce the energy needed to complete the exercises and daily chores.
Anaerobic exercises are based on consuming glucose without the great need for oxygen, as glucose is available inside the muscles in order to secure the energy needed for their movement, and when oxygen delivery to the muscles weakens, due to exerting effort for a while.
For a long time, the body seeks to secure energy through a process called “glycolysis.” Sugar decomposes inside the muscles without the need for oxygen, so high energy is generated, in addition to lactic acid, and this explains the extreme fatigue after anaerobic exercise, as the energy explodes strongly and intensely. high, causing extreme stress.
Benefits of anaerobic exercise for diabetics:
Recognizing the advantages of anaerobic exercise in patients with diabetes and insulin resistance. Adhering to it and pursuing it may make it more serious and rigorous. We can summarize some of these features as follows:
Duration : Many people may decline to practice some exercises, due to the delay in the appearance of the desired results for long periods, as it requires a lot of time and effort before starting to notice its results. The results are visible after a short period of time.
Growth hormone : Hormones play a major role in the metabolism within the body, especially growth hormone, as anaerobic exercise stimulates growth hormone by 700% – this percentage rises much more than we notice during aerobic exercise – if exercised correctly, enjoys Growth hormone plays a key role in burning fat and fighting aging , and it is also the hormone responsible for repair processes that occur during sleep.
Insulin stimulation : A recent study demonstrated that insulin sensitivity increases during anaerobic exercise by 23%, more than during aerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise increases sensitivity of receptors towards insulin, and contributes to improving insulin resistance more than exercise of other types of exercise.
finally
Although anaerobic exercise is very tiring, and sometimes painful, as it requires a great effort, it brings many benefits to patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, individuals with prediabetes, individuals with slow metabolism problems, or people with Those who have recently adhered to the keto diet, but their bodies take longer to adapt to it.
The advantages of aerobic and anaerobic exercises are many, but the practice of both or one of them depends on the extent of the person’s physical fitness , and on the goal of practicing different exercises. However, returning to the title of this article, we must direct the reader to the type that is most beneficial for diabetics.
Exercising is no longer a random matter, it is necessary to make the appropriate decision regarding the types of sports that fit with your desired and real goal of exercising to achieve the maximum benefit, and reach the desired results without wasting time, and wasting effort without tangible benefits.