Weightlifting and reduced diabetes risk

A new study has revealed that weightlifting could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes amongst obese teenagers. Experts at the Keck School of Medicine, University of California, carried out the research . Their study group involved 22 overweight Latino teenagers aged between 14-17.
The researchers found that those teens who lifted weights twice a week for 16 weeks reduced their insulin resistance significantly. Aerobic exercise is well proven to increase insulin sensitivity amongst adults, but for high-risk groups such as Latino teenagers, little research has been carried out.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Preventio, approximately 50 per cent of all Latino children who are born in 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes during their lifetimes .
The teens lifted weights two times every week and were guided by personal trainers, and lean muscle mass quickly increased. 91 per cent of the participants in weight-lifting improved their insulin sensitivity. The expert who led the study reported: “This shows that lifting weights is a good form of exercise that overweight teens can excel at and benefit from. Whether they lose weight or not is not important – they still benefit by increasing muscle mass.”