Bodybuilding helps control diabetes, study shows – 04/12/2023 – Equilíbrio

A study conducted at Unicamp (State University of Campinas) indicates that the regular practice of resistance exercises, such as bodybuilding or functional training, can be as beneficial for glycemic control as aerobic activities, such as running or swimming. The research results were published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

“In recent years, the benefits of physical activity for the body as a whole have been associated with the release of molecules called myokines in the bloodstream. And most studies use aerobic exercises as a reference”, says Gabriela Alves Bronczek, first author of the work , conducted during his doctorate at the Graduate Program in Functional and Molecular Biology at Unicamp.

“As it is already known that different modalities activate different pathways, leading to the release of specific molecules, we thought that perhaps resistance training, more related to bodybuilding, could have a different effect or release different molecules. Hence the idea of ​​investigating its action on cells. pancreatic beta cells, which are responsible for secreting insulin.”

For this, during the study, which was supported by FAPESP, beta cells of rats were treated with the blood serum of animals of the same species that practiced strength training, which consisted of climbing a ladder approximately one meter high with load attached to the tail. There were eight climbs per section, varying between 50%, 75%, 90% and 100% of maximum load, five days a week for ten weeks. Then, the cells were subjected, in vitro, to a cocktail of pro-inflammatory cytokines to induce a condition similar to that of type 1 diabetes. Result: the treatment prevented both dysfunction and cell death.

The next step was to work with an animal model of type 1 diabetes. To induce the disease in mice, the animals were given low doses of streptozotocin, a drug that specifically destroys the beta cells of the pancreas.

After ten weeks of resistance training, the rodents showed improved glucose tolerance and reduced blood glucose. In an evaluation of the morphology of the pancreas, an increase in beta cell mass was observed. This proved that strength exercise causes cells to become more efficient at secreting insulin in response to glucose stimulation.

“This leads us to believe that molecules released during resistance exercise may improve beta cell functioning and provide all these benefits,” says Bronczek.

A previous study by the group, published in 2021 in the journal Scientific Reports, had already evaluated the effect of resistance exercise on beta cells in healthy animals and observed the same effects.

“Faced with the obesity pandemic in the world and the worsening eating habits of the vast majority of the population, the practice of physical activity is extremely important”, points out Antonio Carlos Boschiero, professor at Unicamp and Bronczek’s advisor. “Understanding the benefits of resistance exercise opens up even more doors, as it can be done, for example, from a wheelchair,” he adds.