Low skeletal muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia) often found in obese people and older adults increases the chances of type 2 diabetes. A study done at the University of California with 4654 people over 60 and 9346 from 20-60 years old showed that sarcopenia is associated with insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels in obese and thin people. This linkage means that low muscle mass and strength may be an early predictor of diabetes for all body types (University of California- May 27 2010; PloS One).
The big message from this study is you need to strengthen your muscles with resistance training if you are thin and eat well, obese and are changing your eating habits or are somewhere in the middle to better prevent type 2 diabetes.
If you are heading on holiday over the summer and need to strength train with limited equipment think about the Vintage Fitness ‘Strength and Balance’ DVD which builds muscle with just an exercise band, a DVD player and a bit of motivation http://www.vintagefitness.ca/vintage-fitness-dvd.aspx
Good Luck
Erin
Vintage Fitness
416-951-7978
