Strength training may actually do more than just help build muscle. It could be even better than running when it comes to protecting against diabetes and unhealthy weight gain.
In a recently published study using mice fed a high-fat diet, scientists at Virginia Tech found that both running and weightlifting improved blood sugar control, but resistance training was more effective at reducing body fat, improving glucose tolerance and lowering insulin resistance.
Those factors all help prevent and manage type 2 diabetes.
"We all want to live a long, healthy life," said senior study author Zhen Yan, director of the Center for Exercise Medicine Research at Virginia Tech in Roanoke, Virginia.
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