Training like a bodybuilder can have positive affects on diabetes.
Diabetes. It’s a dangerous and demoralizing disorder to be afflicted with. To constantly check your blood sugar levels and be diligent about what you put in your mouth. For those with type one diabetes, what you eat is as important as insulin injections and exercise. Working out is fundamental to health, but how can bodybuilding specifically help a person afflicted with diabetes?
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Regulated Diet
Bodybuilders must have a strict diet in order to gain clean bulk. No cake, no candy, no cheeseburgers; a bodybuilder’s diet is designed to build muscle not fat. Excess sugar will also be something a bodybuilder is keen to avoid the same as someone with diabetes. Foods like brown rice, vegetables, and lean protein like egg whites, chicken, and turkey, as well as healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil and avocados, are healthy foods great for bodybuilders and those afflicted by diabetes alike. This diet in moderation helps regulate blood sugar levels.
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Increases Insulin Sensitivity
The rigorous training regimen of bodybuilding will help a person suffering from diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The insulin sensitivity allows for the muscle cells to absorb nutrients easier allowing for the anabolic process to build up muscle.
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Converting Glucose into Energy
By doing bodybuilding workouts and increasing muscle mass glucose can be converted into energy. The insulin sensitivity will drive glucose out of the bloodstream and into muscle cells. The more muscle packed on the more glucose is required for absorption. Because of this, type ones won’t require as much insulin for injections.
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Sufficient Rest
Every well informed bodybuilder knows that in order to have positive muscle growth you need adequate rest. As said before, insulin sensitivity is essential for muscle cells to absorb nutrients. Without good rest this effectively kills insulin sensitivity.
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If you suffer from diabetes be sure to be diligent in checking your blood sugar levels, avoid training in extreme temperatures, stay hydrated, and monitor what you eat, being sure to have a healthy meal with complex carbs and proteins on deck.
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