In Early Teens, More Exercise Can Slash Diabetes Risk

For adolescents who have insulin resistance - a key precursor for developing type 2 diabetes - a little extra exercise can go a long way in helping them avoid health complications that could shorten their lives, according to new findings.

A study from the University of Exeter followed 300 children from the ages of 9 to 16, with the intent to determine how physical activity affects insulin resistance, body fat and other indicators of metabolic health.

Researchers measured activity using electronic motion sensors called accelerometers, which were worn around the children's waists for a set period of time each year.

Exercise helps younger teens, but maybe not older adolescents

The study found that more active 13-year-old adolescents had lower rates of insulin resistance than their less active peers, regardless of body fat. Yet when teens became older - by age 16 - this extra exercise wasn't associated with any protective benefits when it comes to insulin resistance.

Study author Dr. Brad Metcalf explained:

Insulin resistance rises dramatically from age 9 to 13 years, then falls to the same extent until age 16. Our study found that physical activity reduced this early-teenage peak in insulin resistance but had no impact at age 16. A reduction in this peak could lessen the demand on the cells that produce insulin during this critical period, which may preserve them for longer in later life.

The findings suggest that physical activity may need to be further emphasized by parents and school programs in a teen's younger years - especially if the child has certain risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes.

The study does not suggest older teens get a hall pass from being active, Metcalf warned, as there are plenty of other health benefits to be reaped from exercise. Moreover, older teens with insulin resistance can still ward off type 2 diabetes with proper lifestyle and dietary changes.

"These findings have implications for future interventions designed to improve the insulin sensitivity of children," the authors concluded.

Source: University of Exeter

Get a Free Diabetes Meal Plan

Get a free 7-Day Diabetes Meal Plan from Constance Brown-Riggs who is a Registered Dietitian-Certified Diabetes Educator and who is also a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Just enter in your email below to download your free Diabetes Meal Plan.

By clicking Submit, you agree to send your info to BattleDiabetes.com who, in addition to 3rd party partners, may contact you with updates, products and information and we agree to use it according to our privacy policy and terms and conditions.

More Articles

More Articles

For decades people with type-1 and advanced type-2 diabetes relied on painful and often flawed insulin injections to regulate blood sugar...

Scientists have discovered that a single gene forms a common link between type 2 diabetes and...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Natural supplements like cinnamon extract and apple cider vinegar could hold the key to lowering blood sugar levels, according to a recent...

Could a person's risk for type 2 diabetes be written in their genes?

According to a study recently published in ...

Women who frequently shift around their sleeping hours could have worse metabolic health outcomes than their peers who stick with a...

The presence of the hormone leptin may hinder prenatal development, which could explain the origin of type 2 diabetes, according to...

An analysis of fossilized Native American feces shows that our ancestors ate up to sixteen times the fiber that we do today, but our...

Managing diabetes is hugely challenging for people of any age, but a new study suggests that young people may suffer all the more....

Disruptions to the gut’s ecosystem could be a future symptom facing young children who take antibiotics, which makes them more susceptible...

Breastfeeding a newborn holds many benefits for mommy and baby; it reduces the baby's risk for colds and viruses, it helps his bones (and yours)...

Fans of the Dexcom G5 Mobile have something to smile about.

At yesterday's hearing with the U.S. Food and Drug...

If you start your day with a cup of tea and end it with a glass of red wine, your blood sugar may thank you.

At least that...

As medical experts continue to debate whether or not "healthy obesity" can even exist, one new study suggests that risk for heart disease...

For years, type 1 diabetics have been anxiously waiting for that medical marvel that can stop the constant injections: the artificial...