With the number of overweight and obese youngsters having or being predisposed to type 2 diabetes now at an all-time high, we need to devise effective ways to reduce body fat and so reduce the disease risk.
Researchers have shown that overweight teenage boys who lifted weights twice per week for 16 weeks significantly reduced their insulin resistance.
Previous studies have shown that aerobic exercise (such as walking, jogging, and cycling) and 'resistance exercise' (lifting weights) can improve insulin sensitivity in adults, but no studies of resistance exercise had been done on overweight young people.
The researchers thought that overweight teens would be more likely to stick with a resistance exercise training regimen than aerobic exercise because it is less physically taxing and gives visible results quicker.
Twenty-two boys aged 14 to 17 participated in the study. Eleven did weight training two times a week on gym equipment under the guidance of personal trainers, while another group of eleven boys did no exercise. As the boys got stronger with training, the trainers increased the loads lifted and reduced the number of repetitions of each exercise.
At the end of the program, nearly all of the boys who did weight training improved their insulin sensitivity.
The researchers believe that resistance training may be a good exercise for improving the health of overweight youngsters.
Children should be encouraged to exercise for an hour every day, whether that is time spent walking, playing games or sports activities. This new study also encourages the benefits of supervised resistance exercise training for building strong muscles and bones.
Reference:
Shaibi GQ, Cruz ML, Ball GD, Weigensberg MJ, Salem GJ, Crespo NC, Goran MI (2006) Effects of resistance training on insulin sensitivity in overweight Latino adolescent males. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 38: 1208-1215.
Related reading:
Actively Avoid Diabetes
Should Children Lift Weights?
Gymnastics Build Up Bones
Excess Sport a Strain
