13
Apr
2025
14:25
Type 2 diabetes is becoming a global problem, affecting an increasing number of people worldwide. Today, about 589 million adults are forced to live with this chronic disease. Researchers from Hong Kong decided to find out whether strength exercises could become an effective shield against this dangerous disease.
In a large-scale study, scientists analyzed data from the UK Biobank, covering information on 141,848 adult British Caucasians, including their genetic profiles. The average age of participants was 57 years, with women predominating in the sample, making up about 55% of the total.
The researchers divided the volunteers into three categories depending on grip strength: high, medium, and low indicators. Additionally, using the bioelectrical impedance method, the body composition of participants was measured – the ratio of fat and muscle tissue. Statistical analysis took into account many demographic factors, including gender, socioeconomic status, employment, tobacco and alcohol consumption, red meat and fish consumption, as well as physical activity level.
The results were impressive: high muscle strength was associated with a reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 44%. Notably, this connection persisted even after accounting for all known risk factors.
An even more interesting discovery was the found relationship between muscle strength and genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes. People with a high genetic risk of developing the disease, but possessing good muscle strength, demonstrated a significantly lower probability of developing diabetes compared to those who had medium or low genetic risk.
In conclusion, the researchers came to a definitive conclusion: more developed muscle mass is associated with a substantially lower relative risk of type 2 diabetes, and this rule works regardless of a person’s genetic predisposition.
The results of this revolutionary study were published in the authoritative scientific journal BMC Medicine.
