Health & Well-Being: ACSM takes stand on diabetes
Health & Well-Being: ACSM takes stand on diabetes
The Indianapolis-based American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has released an official position stand, "Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes," that makes a corporate statement about the positive therapeutic benefits of exercise, and resistance and flexibility training on people who suffer from the disease. A prime conclusion from the is that physical activity is vastly underutilized for the management of the disease, and that health care professionals must address the importance of physical activity more seriously in their patients.
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by varying degrees of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. That means that dietary carbohydrates are not properly metabolized, and complications involving vision, nerves, kidneys, the vascular system, and even the teeth may result.
Treatment of Type 2 diabetes, according to the ACSM, should have as its goal the achievement and maintenance of normal or near-normal blood glucose levels and optimal lipid levels. The degree of blood glucose level control in obese Type 2 diabetic individuals appears to be directly proportional to the dose of physical activity. It is possible to attain normal or near-normal levels, based on how long and how hard the exercise. Not only does glucose production decrease; utilization of muscle glucose increases.
This process continues for a time after exercise has ceased, again depending on duration and intensity. Physical activity also directly affects insulin resistance, by increasing insulin sensitivity; the effects last from 12 to 24 hours after exercise has ceased.
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