Type 1 Diabetic? High-Intensity Exercise May Help

Bursts of high-intensity exercise could help people with type 1 diabetes better recognize low blood sugar episodes, according to new research.

About a quarter of people who have type 1 diabetes will eventually develop hypoglycemia unawareness - a condition where they can't recognize when blood sugar levels are dangerously low. Hypoglycemic episodes, when not treated in time, can cause loss of consciousness, coma or even death.

The authors' findings could represent a non-drug treatment option for people with type 1 diabetes, a report on the study stated.

Intense bursts may be best

Studying rats that had been exposed to repeated periods of hypoglycemia for several weeks, the researchers then tested how exercise would affect the rats' awareness and response to episodes of low blood sugar.

One group of rats was made to exercise at low intensity, another exercised at high intensity, while the third group did not exercise at all.


After 24 hours, the rats were tested for their response to hypoglycemia. Results showed the rats who had exercised at a high intensity were the fastest to respond when they reached a state of low blood sugar.

“Hypoglycaemic episodes are an unavoidable part of life for those living with type-1 diabetes," said Alison McNeilly, lead study author. “After a few years some people with type-1 diabetes might not even know they are suffering from one of these episodes and this puts them at high risk of severe hypos.”

The researchers will next conduct a clinical trial on individuals with type-1 diabetes to test the experiments further.

Source: Society for Endocrinology
Image courtesy of tuelekza/FreeDigitalPhotos.net


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...