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Diabetes and Exercise by Martin Harshberger
Diabetes and Exercise There are two main types of diabetes,
type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized
by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. An
individual with diabetes type I will have to inject
insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose
levels. Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset
diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not producing
enough insulin to control glucose levels or the cells
not responding to insulin. When a cell does not respond
to insulin, it is known as insulin resistance. When
a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes, exercise
and weight control are prescribed as measures to help
with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose
levels, then medication is prescribed. The risk factors
for type II diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol,
obesity, and hypertension. Inactivity alone is a very
strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to diabetes
type II. Exercise will have a positive effect on diabetes
type II while improving insulin sensitivity while type
I cannot be controlled be an exercise program. Over
90% of individuals with diabetes have type II.
Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster,
which lowers blood sugar. The more intense the exercise,
the faster the body will utilize glucose. Therefore
it is important to understand the differences in training
with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for
an individual who has diabetes to check with a physician
before beginning an exercise program. When training
with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers
of injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise.
An individual with type I diabetes injecting their normal
amount of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose
the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise.
General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows:
allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent
high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid
heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates
nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual
may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become
irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate
snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a
matter of minutes.
Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood
sugar levels to be tested to make sure that they are
not below 80 to 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl.
Glucose levels should also be tested before, during,
after and three to five hours after exercise. During
this recovery period (3-5 hours after exercise), it
is important for diabetics to consume ample carbohydrates
in order to prevent hypoglycemia.
Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type
II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin
sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are the best
forms of prevention for type II diabetics. It is important
for training protocols to be repeated almost daily to
help with sustaining insulin sensitivity. To prevent
hypoglycemia, progressively work up to strenuous activity.
As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates
should also be present during training to assist in
raising blood sugar levels if the individual becomes
Natural weight loss and exercise is the only path to
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About the Author
Martin Harshberger is a sucessful business consultant,
and fitness advocate. He has done extensive research
and testing of nutrition, diet and exercise programs.
His interest was initiated by a personal health issue,
and he was sucessful in losing over 50 pounds, lowering
his stress and blood pressure, as well as increasing
muscle mass all at age 57. This was after he failed
at the so called expert programs.
Steering Diabetes Patients Through The Sweetest Season
November ushers in American Diabetes Month not only a time to be thankful for bustling basic and clinical research underway on the disease, but also the unofficial start of the holiday season. Between now and New Year's, people with diabetes must navigate a tempting course of sugar-centric festivities, maintaining a delicate nutritional balance against all odds. "It's possible," said Nicholas Jospe, M.D.
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One of the most reliable indicators to predict that a person will develop type 2 diabetes is the presence of insulin resistance. Insulin is produced in the pancreas and is the hormone responsible for ensuring that glucose reaches several tissues and organs in the body, such as muscles. Insulin resistance is characterized by the lack of tissue response to insulin and is counteracted by a greater production of insulin by the pancreas.
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Guide to Diabetes
It is estimated that more than 2000 new cases of diabetes
are diagnosed everyday in the United States alone. While
symptoms of Type 1 diabetes are usually obvious, Type
2 often shows few or no symptoms. After a meal, food
is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is
carried by the blood to cells through out the body.
Cells use the hormone insulin, made in the pancreas,
to process blood glucose into energy.
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