318. Brief periods of exercise before meals can improve blood sugar control
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
Blood sugar control is critical as we get older, but especially for the millions of people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers in New Zealand have discovered a fairly simple way to maintain blood glucose levels after meals – what they call exercise snacks. They compared 30 minutes of continuous, moderate-intensity exercise before a meal to six one-minute intervals of vigorous intensity exercise – walking an incline – alternating with one minute of rest, performed 30 minutes before a meal. Those who performed the exercise snacks, or the six one-minute high-intensity exercise bursts, had lower blood glucose levels three hours after the meal, as well as lower average glucose levels for the next 24 hours. Finding some way to get even small amounts of physical activity before meals might go a long way to improving our health.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
