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The first advice which flows in for a prediabetic or an already diabetic person suffering type 2 is to lose bodyweight by Doctor or anyone they meet as it is the most common advice and quite obvious. Is this as specific as it should be for the real cure?

Let’s dig into this a bit!

First, try to understand what happens in Diabetes Type 2 condition.

Will take this in a very simple language as everyone can understand. When we eat some food it breaks down to provide energy for immediate and further use. The most common form and first substance formed is glucose out of the food we eat. You can also call it sugar. This glucose is very vital for our existence as it is a readily available source of energy for our body to function especially our brain.

The glucose is stored in our liver, muscles, and blood for further use in the form of glycogen. There is a limit of storage in all these and depends on person to person with different genetics. What will happen if we keep filling our water bottles beyond the brink? It’s the same with our glycogen levels. When the liver and muscles are filled beyond their capacity than this glucose starts accumulating into our blood hence giving high levels of blood sugar which leads to the condition known as Diabetes (type2).

Now lets’s get back to the Doctor’s advice of losing bodyweight to control this situation. The Doctor is intended to say to lose body fat level to control diabetes. All in all, the Doctor is recommending a healthy lifestyle, a controlled diet, abstaining from processed food, alcohol & smoking, and living an active lifestyle. All this would help a person fight with pre or already diabetic conditions. But, I would be more specific on a point that is not emphasized, building on muscle mass!

As you learned above that glucose formed after eating our food is stored in our liver, muscles, and blood in the eform of glycogen. Now, let’s understand that we cannot alter the storage in the liver and blood but we can always do it with our muscles. More the muscles more the storage capacity for glucose as glyogen. The sored form of glucose is called glycogen and is stored to reuse whenever needed.

Now we understand that if muscles are a good storage point for glucose as glycogen then it would be a wise idea to build up more muscle fibers rather than only losing bodyweight.

Benefits of building up muscle mass to control diabetes:

1. Building up muscle mass provides more capacity to store glucose in the form of glycogen.
2. More glucose stored in muscles will restrict its amount from flowing into the blood hence lowering the blood sugar level.
3. Stored glycogen in the muscles is easily available as a source of energy for the body.
4. Building muscle mass ensures fat loss as it needs the energy to maintain the muscle mass itself as muscles are dynamic.
5. Building up muscle mass in diabetes is necessary as it’s been noted that atrophy (losing muscle mass) happens to the diabetic person.

Most of the time, the role of muscles is neglected when diabetes is talked about. Maintaining proportionate body weight should be the top priority but not to be forgotten that it has to be achieved keeping considerable growth in muscle mass.

Vineet Singh

VinFit