How can a type II diabetic gain muscle?

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  • 6ftamazon
    6ftamazon Posts: 340 Member
    But I have also read that the greater your muscle mass, the higher your insulin sensitivity. So each pound of muscle that you add may be helping to slow the progression of the disorder! It might actually get easier to add muscle as your sensitivity improves, too! (Just conjecture on my part...please let us know how it goes over the next few months and years.)

    Definitely true...when I was lifting weights a few years ago, I hardly took any insulin. I averaged 3 units per 30g of carbs. Now it's 7 (although better than the 10 I started with)
    I'm not sure it's the muscle-mass, OR the interval-nature of weight-training. We already know from research that BOTH weight training and HIIT (High-Intensity-Interval-Training) improve insulin-sensitivity... but interestingly, improvements in both seem to happen before muscle-composition changes actually take place.

    As several research trials have shown insulin-sensitivity improvements without muscle-composition changes, I'd suggest it's the intense-interval nature of the regular exercise, rather than the addition of muscle mass. Just my thoughts ...

    Interesting idea :). I didn't know about hiit affecting insulin sensitivity, although that could explain a lot for me.
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
    Interesting idea :). I didn't know about hiit affecting insulin sensitivity, although that could explain a lot for me.
    Yes, it's great for diabetics:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21868679

    ... and NON-diabetics even:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2640399/
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991639/

    Bear in mind even Type I diabetics are now often presenting with signs of Insulin-Resistance, most-often these are individuals eating highly refined/processed foods who simply bolus for their carb-intake without necessarily looking at the health implications of eating so much processed carbohydrate.

    Non-diabetics benefit from HIIT by improving the sensitivity to the insulin they secrete naturally as well as by the exercise itself lowering blood glucose levels not just during the activity, but for up to two hours afterwards.

    As such HIIT has a glycemic a benefit to anyone, really.
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    Interesting idea :). I didn't know about hiit affecting insulin sensitivity, although that could explain a lot for me.
    Yes, it's great for diabetics:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21868679

    ... and NON-diabetics even:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2640399/
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991639/

    Bear in mind even Type I diabetics are now often presenting with signs of Insulin-Resistance, most-often these are individuals eating highly refined/processed foods who simply bolus for their carb-intake without necessarily looking at the health implications of eating so much processed carbohydrate.

    Non-diabetics benefit from HIIT by improving the sensitivity to the insulin they secrete naturally as well as by the exercise itself lowering blood glucose levels not just during the activity, but for up to two hours afterwards.

    As such HIIT has a glycemic a benefit to anyone, really.

    This is big stuff, and will help people with diabetes type II, and also those like myself who might be at increased risk for it because a grandparent, uncle, or whomever has it.

    The thing about muscle...I believe was due to the idea that the more muscle you have, the more metabolically active tissue you have that can use glucose. Of course, insulin is also needed to shuttle that glucose into muscles...and functioning receptors are needed for this as well.

    After doing some more reading, it appears that full-fledged type II is actually far more than just advanced insulin resistance...as you said, the body actually decreases its insulin production drastically as it progresses...due to fatigued beta-cells.

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