Exercise

Posted on Diabetes, Diet, Exercise

Type 2 diabetes can be prevented through diet and exercise, even in individuals with a high genetic risk.

Exercise more effective than medicines to manage mental health

The University of Eastern Finland conducted a groundbreaking study which demonstrates that maintaining a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise can decrease the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, even in individuals with a high genetic risk. This means that lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, can benefit everyone, regardless of their genetic predisposition.

Type 2 diabetes is a major global issue. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports that one in eleven adults worldwide has diabetes, and 90 per cent of these cases are type 2 diabetes. Researchers have discovered over 500 genetic variants that can make individuals more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. However, lifestyle factors such as being overweight, consuming low dietary fibre, high intake of saturated fats, and lack of exercise also play a significant role in the risk of developing the disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that lifestyle changes can effectively prevent type 2 diabetes. However, it’s not yet known whether the disease can be prevented in individuals carrying multiple genetic variants that predispose them to type 2 diabetes.

The T2D-GENE Trial was a three-year lifestyle intervention that involved nearly 1,000 men aged 50 to 75 in eastern Finland. All participants had elevated fasting glucose at the beginning of the study. More than 600 men received guidance on health-promoting lifestyles and were part of the intervention group, while the rest served as a control group. The intervention group received support through group meetings and a dedicated web portal. Participants were divided into two groups based on their genetic risk of developing type 2 diabetes, determined by assessing 76 gene variants. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew to which genetic risk group the participants belonged. All participants in the intervention group received the same lifestyle guidance.

Men who took part in the lifestyle intervention showed significant improvement in their diet quality. They increased their intake of dietary fibre, improved the quality of fats they consumed, and ate more vegetables, fruits, and berries. Although the study was not specifically focused on weight loss, the participants did experience weight loss. At the beginning of the study, the participants were already very physically active and they were able to maintain their exercise habits. These changes led to a reduction in the decline of glucose metabolism. The lifestyle intervention group had a significantly lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes compared to the control group. Importantly, the positive effects of the lifestyle changes were observed across individuals, regardless of whether they had a low or high genetic risk.

“These findings encourage everyone to make lifestyle changes that promote health. Furthermore, they demonstrate the effectiveness of group- and internet-based lifestyle guidance, which saves healthcare resources,” says University Lecturer, Docent Maria Lankinen

Posted on Exercise, Multiple Sclerosis

Strengthen Your Inner Thigh Muscles To Move Better – Multiple Sclerosis Exercise

The muscles around your hips MUST be balanced to sit, stand, walk, and exercise with balance, strength, and coordination. I typically see weak outer hip muscles and tight inner hip muscles in most gymmers. It’s a bit counterintuitive, but tight adductors that lead to knees caving inward can be “loosened” by strengthening them (weird, I know). Tight adductors happen because your brain senses instabilities in your hips. To stabilize your hips, it then “locks down” your adductors to create a more stable joint. When you practice moving your tight adductors in and out of contraction, your brain learns to use those muscles again. This exercise isolates your adductors and can help reduce MS symptoms like knee kissing, hyperextension, and scissor gait.

Posted on Diabetes, Diet, Exercise

Delaying the onset of diabetes through diet and exercise for 4 years leads to improved long-term health.

Maintaining prediabetic status after diagnosis reduces risk of death decades later
Maintaining prediabetic status after diagnosis reduces the risk of death decades later

Individuals diagnosed with prediabetes can reduce their long-term risk of death and diabetes-related health complications if they delay the onset of diabetes for just four years through diet and exercise, according to Guangwei Li of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital.

Type 2 diabetes is linked to a higher risk of death and disability and places a substantial economic burden on individuals and societies globally. Making lifestyle changes, like eating a healthy diet and increasing physical activity, can postpone or decrease the risk of developing diabetes in people diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, also known as prediabetes. However, it is still uncertain how long a person needs to delay diabetes to guarantee better long-term health.

In a recent study, researchers examined the health outcomes of 540 prediabetic individuals enrolled in the original Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study. This six-year trial took place in Da Qing City, China, starting in 1986. The participants were divided into a control group and three lifestyle intervention groups. The lifestyle intervention groups focused on following a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, or both. The trial monitored the participants for over 30 years.

Li’s team conducted a study to assess the long-term risks for participants with diabetes. They discovered that individuals who remained non-diabetic for at least four years after their initial diagnosis had a much lower risk of dying and experiencing cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks, strokes, or heart failure, compared to those who developed diabetes earlier. This protection was not observed in individuals who remained non-diabetic for less than four years.

Overall, the analysis indicates that delaying the onset of diabetes for prediabetic individuals leads to improved long-term health outcomes. Even maintaining prediabetic status for just a few years can have long-lasting benefits.

The authors state, “This study suggests that individuals with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) who maintain a longer duration of non-diabetes status experience better health outcomes and reduced mortality. Implementing effective interventions for individuals with IGT should be considered as a strategy for preventing diabetes and diabetes-related vascular complications.”

Posted on Exercise

High-intensity exercise improves brain function in adults for five years

A longitudinal study conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland revealed that high-intensity interval exercise enhances brain function in older adults for up to 5 years.

Exercise more effective than medicines to manage mental health

The Queensland Brain Institute led the study, where volunteers engaged in physical exercise and underwent brain scans.

Emeritus Professor Perry Bartlett and Dr Daniel Blackmore have shown that high-intensity exercise boosts cognition in healthy older adults, and the improvement is retained for up to five years. 

Bartlett stated that this is the first controlled study to demonstrate that exercise can enhance cognition in healthy older adults rather than just delaying cognitive decline.

“Six months of high-intensity interval training is enough to flick the switch,” Bartlett said.

“In earlier pre-clinical work, we discovered exercise can activate stem cells and increase the production of neurons in the hippocampus, improving cognition.”

In this study, a large group of healthy volunteers aged 65 to 85 joined a six-month exercise program. They underwent biomarker and cognition testing and had high-resolution brain scans.

“We followed up with them five years after the program, and incredibly, they still showed improved cognition, even if they hadn’t kept up with the exercises.”

“If we can change the trajectory of ageing and keep people cognitively healthier for longer with a simple intervention like exercise, we can potentially save our community from the enormous personal, economic and social costs associated with dementia,” Bartlett said. 

EBartlett and Blackmore collaborated with Honorary Professor Stephan Riek and the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences at UQ.

In the study, the researchers evaluated the effects of three different exercise intensities:

– Low intensity, focusing on motor function, balance, and stretching

– Medium intensity, involving brisk walking on a treadmill

– High intensity, consisting of four cycles of running on a treadmill at near maximum exertion

Dr Blackmore said only the high-intensity interval exercise led to cognitive improvement that was retained for up to 5 years.

“On high-resolution MRI scans of that group, we saw structural and connectivity changes in the hippocampus, the area responsible for learning and memory,” Dr Blackmore said.

“We also discovered blood biomarkers that changed in correlation with improvements in cognition.”

“Biomarkers can be useful in predicting the effectiveness of the exercise a person is doing.”

With 1 in 3 people aged 85 years likely to develop dementia, Dr Blackmore said the impact of the research was far-reaching.  

“Our findings can help shape exercise recommendations for elderly individuals, and additional research could evaluate various forms of physical activity that could be integrated into senior care,” he stated.

We are currently investigating genetic factors that may influence an individual’s response to exercise, aiming to determine those who will and will not benefit from this intervention.

“The use of biomarkers as a diagnostic tool for exercise also needs further research.”

Posted on Exercise, Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis and Exercise: Reduce Relapses & Increase Myelin?

Can exercise really help with multiple sclerosis (MS)? Recent research suggests that it can. It can help manage symptoms, reduce relapse rates, and increase myelin production. In this video, I share my personal experience of how exercise has improved my MS symptoms and discuss some exciting new research on the benefits of exercise for people with MS.