How Muscles Help Fighting Diabetes

1. What is the connection between Muscle health & Diabetes?

Your body gets its blood glucose with the help of the food you eat. A hormone, insulin, keeps a check on the blood glucose level and maintains it in desired limits. However, if insulin fails to do so (for several possible reasons), it results in your excess blood glucose levels or diabetes. Consequently, glucose stays in the blood and does not reach the cells adequately. Excess glucose in your blood creates several problems, including undesirable effects on muscle health.

You can suspect you have diabetes if you experience symptoms like frequent urination, frequent infections, blurring of vision, fatigue or exhaustion, excess thirst or hunger, and delayed healing of wounds. If you notice such symptoms, you must see a doctor and get tested for diabetes as soon as possible. The good news is that diabetes can be well-managed with the help of medications, a suitable diet, and adequate exercise. Read more about reverse type 2 diabetes.

2. What are some common Effects of Diabetes on Muscles

Recent studies show that diabetes may affect muscles' metabolic and mechanical functioning. Complications associated with type 2 diabetes may eventually result in functional impairment in older people. 

Of late, some studies suggest a relationship between glucose tolerance, muscle strength, and the physical functioning of your body. It was established that diabetic elderly men have weaker muscle strength and greater chances of impaired physical function than those without diabetes.

Diabetes impairs the ability of muscles to take up glucose and reduces your muscle strength. A study also claims that diabetes, particularly type-2 diabetes affects a gene responsible for muscle recovery and regeneration. Ongoing research suggests that restoring muscle function can help improve glucose absorption by your body.

3. Muscle Building and Weight Loss

Obesity is commonly allied with diabetes, so most diabetics focus on weight loss. However, you must aim at getting fitter than merely losing weight. This is possible only with muscle preservation. It is recommended to follow a diet and exercise plan that preserves every ounce of your muscle, which also helps your shed those extra pounds efficiently. Besides, try to eat a specific amount of protein every day, ensuring that you meet your daily protein requirement. Trainers at curefit.com will efficiently guide you in designing a suitable diet plan ensuring your weight loss with preserving muscle strength. Know about high blood sugar level.

4. How can strengthening your muscles help with diabetes?

Improving your muscle health by strength training can help your body better regulate your blood sugar level, especially in diabetes type 2. Some easy exercise can push your muscles to absorb more sugar, improve your insulin sensitivity, and thereby regulate your blood sugar levels. Besides, these exercises can help you burn more calories, improve your mood, and get you stronger. In some cases, it was even possible to reverse diabetes (type 2) by strengthening the muscles.

5. Strength training

Strength training, done twice a week for 30 minutes, besides other cardio exercises (on other 5 days), can help immensely. Start with simple exercises that push your major muscle groups. Some basic upper body exercises include standing biceps curl, triceps extension, shoulder press, chest press, and seated row. You can push your core muscles with exercises like classic crunches and plank. Exercises that improve lower body muscle strength include squats, lunges, and hamstring curls.

Start with light dumbbells or resistance bands. Ensure smooth and controlled movements while lifting or lowering the weights. Begin with one set of actions where you do them 10 to 15 times (reps). Rest for 30 seconds and move to the next one.

6. Safety and Precautions

While on diabetic medications, be cautious to avoid hypoglycemia (a dangerous drop in your blood sugar levels). Ask your doctor if you can consume a snack or if you should monitor your blood glucose levels before your workout. Also, do not forget to consult your doctor before starting any workout to confirm if it suits your age, medical condition, and physiology. This will ensure you get the best muscle strengthening benefits without any side effects.

FAQs

1. Can diabetes affect your muscles?

Yes, diabetes may cause changes in your overall musculoskeletal system. It may cause muscle problems like muscle pain or stiffness, besides reducing muscle strength and mass.

2. Does diabetes make your muscles weak?

Yes, diabetes may reduce your muscle strength, make them weak, and impairs the ability of your muscles to absorb glucose. As per the research, diabetes may affect a gene that plays an essential role in muscle regeneration.

3. Can muscle building reverse diabetes?

Although nothing is set in stone yet, some scientific studies have suggested that building your muscles can improve your body's glucose tolerance and reverse type 2 diabetes. A study states that muscle-building by resistance training is effective at enhancing insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose markers.‍

4. Can muscle building help diabetes?

Yes. Ongoing research states that building muscles by strength or power training may reduce liver fat and improve blood sugar levels in obese people with diabetes.