Studies Confirm Role Of Exercise To Control BG Levels

While at the Joslin clinic for my appointment this past Friday, I read a short article in Diabetes Health magazine. It concerned itself with two recent studies emphasizing the value of exercise in controlling your blood glucose levels.

One study conducted by the University of Missouri and published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, found that blood glucose levels spike during periods of inactivity. This should not surprise anyone as inactivity and  poor diet contributed to most of us having Type 2 Diabetes to begin with. The surprising one for me was the second one conducted by the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Australia and published in Diabetes Care, shows that office employees who take short light exercise breaks every 20 minutes enjoy a 30% reduction in blood glucose levels.

Going back to the Missouri study, they monitored the effects of inactivity on blood glucose levels among volunteers who NORMALLY exercised at the the 10,000 steps per day (five miles) program. They wanted to see what effect levels of physical activity have on post meal glucose spikes.

For the first three days these volunteers fitted with monitoring devices, were told to go about their normal routines, usual walks and exercises. At the 10,000 steps per day regimen their BG levels did NOT spike after meals.

They were then asked to cut their daily steps to 2.5 miles (5000 steps) while continuing their normal diet. They also rode whenever possible rather than walk. After just three days of relative inactivity compared to their normal routine, their blood glucose levels spiked an average of 26% over their more active three day period. The blood sugar levels rose slightly higher each day of inactivity. Once back on their 10,000 steps a day routine blood glucose returned to normal limits. The research found that inactivity has a greater effect on blood glucose than even your overall weight or diet.

Concerning quick office breaks, the Australian study found that taking two minute light exercise breaks every twenty minutes allowed office workers to reduce their blood sugar levels by 30%.

I found the article to be of benefit and exercising makes good sense. God gave us ONE mouth and TWO legs, so I suspect He meant for us to do more walking than eating.

(SIDE NOTE)
After being off androgel for about 3 weeks, my blood pressure readings which had jumped into the 195/101 range are now back down to the 120/72 range. I actually find myself with more energy than I had on the Androgel therapy and I am back to doing my workouts with the weights and push ups, abdominal exercises and walking to try and boost my testosterone levels back where they should be. My hope is that by this fall, I will have my T readings back in the 350-400 plus range without any creams or gels.
MY A1C level was also down and my weight was down around 4 lbs.

Dan

Proverbs 23:20-21
Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.

Genesis 1:29
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.