Diabetes and Strength Training
There are two types of Diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (sometimes called Juvenile Diabetes) is characterized by the bodies inability to produce insulin. Type 2 Diabetes (adult onset) is characterized by the body either not producing enough insulin or not responding to the insulin in the bloodstream.
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that removes glucose (broken-down sugars) from the bloodstream and deposits it into working tissue. In T1D, blood glucose levels rise because there is no insulin to get the sugars into the muscles/liver. In T2D, blood insulin levels rise because the receptors don’t recognize that there is insulin present and again, blood glucose levels rise.
Here’s the scary part: we don’t know what causes diabetes. It could be genetic, it could be diet, it could be lifestyle. (makes you want to mind your P’s and Q’s, doesn’t it?)
Now here’s the “good” part: Exercise, specifically, strength training can help you manage your blood sugar levels. When muscles contract, they activate a protein that helps transport glucose into the muscles. Muscle contraction mediated uptake of glucose doesn’t stop as soon as you finish lifting, either. It stays elevated for a couple hours afterward. Insulin sensitivity is enhanced by strength training (meaning you need to produce less insulin to get a response) and obviously, blood sugar levels go down.
One more reason to start training at Vertex!
Request a complimentary first session at Vertex Fitness, Voted the BEST Personal Training Studio on the Main Line
Click HERE and we will schedule a session to try it yourself
Complimentary First Workout Session
About the author
Dwayne Wimmer founded Vertex Fitness Personal Training Studio in 2001, excited to bring a new concept about personal training to the people of Philadelphia’s Main Line in Pennsylvania. Driven by knowledge and results both, while a strength coach at Villanova University, he worked closely with world class athletes such as Brian Westbrook, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, on strength training and conditioning for optimal performance. Dwayne’s client base extends much further than world class athletes. Along with athletes, he works with adolescents to seniors, and he’s a highly acclaimed and sought out personal trainer who has received numerous awards, such as Best of the Main Line Personal Training Studio and Best Main Line Personal Trainer. A graduate of Missouri Western State University, Dwayne has a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, with an emphasis in Coaching. Aside from personal training, he’s spent time as a physical education teacher, strength and conditioning coach, and a football coach, but has found his passion and home in the fitness industry, inspiring and reaching out to others. As a strong believer in continuing to learn, Dwayne has also taken classes at East Stroudsburg University toward a Masters Degree in Sports Management. He can add author to his list of accomplishments, having created a chapter in the upcoming book The Soul of Success with Jack Canfield, renowned for the Chicken Soup series. To get to the point where he is now, Dwayne has always been thankful for the support of his father, a man who always believed in his mission and saw the need for what it was that Dwayne envisioned. During his free time, Dwayne is an avid motorcyclist who enjoys viewing the amazing landscapes and finding good restaurants to enjoy that are off the beaten path. He also takes advantage of opportunities to travel and experience many other cities while attending fitness seminars and giving presentations about the industry he is so passionate about. As a way to give back to the community that has been a part of his entire life, Dwayne has created Vertex Fitness PUMPED (People United Making Progress through Education and Donations), which provides support to area non-profits through a community-wide outreach effort. At this time, they help three non-profits per year in the Philadelphia area. For more information from Dwayne, you may contact him at (610) 525-6604, dwayne@vertexfit.com