Are Some Type 2 Diabetics Exercise Resistant?

People with type 2 diabetes are often encouraged to engage in regular exercise. But it turns out some of them may be resistant to the benefits of physical activity.

Researchers from Florida Hospital and the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in Orlando, Florida, reviewed reports on human and animal exercise studies. The evidence showed that a significant majority of individuals with type 2 diabetes experienced improvements in glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial muscle density through regular exercise. However, these benefits evaded 15%–20% of subjects. The researchers theorized that the cause could be genetic.

“Studies dedicated to uncovering the mechanisms of exercise resistance will advance the field of exercise and type 2 diabetes, allowing interventions to be targeted to those most likely to benefit and identify novel approaches to treat those who do not experience metabolic improvements after exercise training,” the authors concluded.

The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (doi: http://dx .doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-2545).