Forty-seven million people in America alone have metabolic syndrome and many of them don’t know it. Excess fat around your waist and upper tummy, high blood pressure, borderline high blood sugar, and elevated lipid levels are all signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome, a condition characterized by insulin resistance and worsening blood sugar control. Unfortunately, about a third of Americans and almost half of women over the age of 60 have this condition and it’s placing their health in jeopardy.
Although not a disease, metabolic syndrome is a strong risk factor for future health problems like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. When you have it, you’re a silent time bombing ticking away. As the International Diabetes Association points out, metabolic syndrome is driving the current epidemic of heart disease, the most common cause of death, and if we could get metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes under control, heart disease deaths would fall dramatically.
Once an individual is diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, doctors recommend lifestyle changes and that includes diet and physical activity. Of course, it’s even better to adopt a healthy lifestyle before you end up with metabolic syndrome – and that includes exercise. Both diet and exercise play a role in preventing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome – but which one is better?
Diet versus Exercise
In a recent study, researchers followed 4,000 adults for three years to see which had more of an effect on metabolic syndrome – a reduced calorie diet or exercise. Guess which one worked best? Exercise! Adults who spent more time being physically active were more protected against metabolic syndrome than those who simply watched their diet. Score another point for exercise!
It’s not surprising that exercise trumps diet for preventing metabolic syndrome. People with metabolic syndrome are insulin resistant, meaning the cells in their body don’t respond to insulin as well as they should. As you may know, insulin is necessary to get glucose and amino acids into cells. When cells don’t respond readily to insulin, the pancreas has to work harder to pump out more. At some point, the pancreas may burn out and be unable to produce enough insulin and blood sugar levels start to rise. That’s when type-2 diabetes sets in. In many cases, metabolic syndrome is a precursor to type 2- diabetes.
Why is exercise so effective for taming metabolic syndrome? When you exercise, cells can more easily take up glucose and amino acids without the help of insulin. People who have metabolic syndrome also have other health issues like high blood pressure, elevated lipids, and too much deep abdominal fat. Exercise helps with the management of these problems too.
What Type of Exercise is Best?
If you’re diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, your doctor might tell you to get out and walk for 30 minutes each day, but you’ll get more benefits if you ramp up the intensity of your workouts – high -intensity interval style.
In one study, researchers compared the effects of 45 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at 70% of maximal heart rate versus interval-style training involving four four-minute intervals at an intensity of 90% of maximal heart rate with 3-minute recovery periods in between. The interval workout included a 10-minute warm-up and five-minute cooldown. The participants worked out 3 times weekly for 16 weeks.
Although both groups experienced equal reductions in blood pressure, the interval training group showed greater improvements in insulin sensitivity and HDL-cholesterol levels. In fact, the continuous exercise group exhibited no improvement in HDL-cholesterol.
Strength Training and Metabolic Syndrome
Don’t underestimate the importance of strength training for treating metabolic syndrome. Strength training improves insulin sensitivity and body composition. Several studies show people who lift weights regularly are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome. Your best bet is to do a combination of aerobic and resistance training exercise to maximize metabolic health.
Strength, in general, is correlated with a lower risk for health problems, including metabolic syndrome. One study showed sixth graders who were strongest were at lower risk for metabolic problems. So, muscle strength isn’t just a marker for metabolic health in older people – it is for the younger set as well.
Muscle Strength and Longevity
Need another reason to strength train? How strong you are is linked with your risk of dying prematurely. In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed a connection between grip strength and the risk of future health problems. Other studies show a correlation between handgrip strength and mortality with a weaker hand grip associated with earlier death.
Grip strength is a marker for generalized muscle strength. Although this doesn’t prove cause and effect, it does suggest being stronger may lower your risk for dying prematurely. That’s not surprising when you consider muscle strength protects against falls and is a marker for healthier bones.
Want to know how healthy someone is? Shake their hand. A study published in The Lancet used an instrument called dynamometer to measure the hand grip strength of over 140,000 people over a 6-year period. As hand grip strength declined, the risk of death went up, even after controlling for other factors that might explain the results like diet, exercise, and smoking history. Surprisingly, handgrip strength was a better marker for premature mortality than blood pressure.
The Bottom Line
Eating a healthy diet and exercise are BOTH important for staying healthy and lowering your risk for metabolic syndrome – but exercise was the winner in this study. Now you have one more reason to stick with your exercise plan.
References:
Medscape Family Medicine. “Metabolic Syndrome Stabilizes but Still Affects 50% of Seniors”
To Your Health, August 2015 (Vol. 09, Issue 08) “Diet is Key, but Exercise is Essential”
Yahoo Health. “Why Strength Is A Matter Of Life And Death”
Journal of Applied Physiology Published 1 April 2010 Vol. 108 no. 4, 804-810 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00996.2009.
WebMD. “What is Metabolic Syndrome?”
International Diabetes Association. “Metabolic syndrome–driving the CVD epidemic”
Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism 2003;5:359-70.
Healio Cardiology Today. “Interval training may be best type of exercise to affect metabolic syndrome”
Circulation. 2008;doi:10.1161/circulationaha.108.772822.
Sports Med. 2010 May 1;40(5):397-415. doi: 10.2165/11531380-000000000-00000.
Eurkealert.org. “Lifting weights protects against metabolic syndrome”
Woman’s Day. “The Strength Of Your Handshake Could Determine Your Heart Attack And Stroke Risk”
Related Articles By Cathe:
Strength Training: Get Stronger, Live Longer
Can You Still Get the Benefits of Exercise if You Start Later in Life?
What Role Does Exercise Play in Reversing Pre-diabetes?
Can Exercise Counter a Genetic Tendency Towards Obesity?
Can Having More Muscle Help You Live Longer?
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