Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes
The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Diabetes Association: joint position statement executive summary
- Sheri R. Colberg, PHD, FACSM1,
- Ronald J. Sigal, MD, MPH, FRCP(C)2,
- Bo Fernhall, PHD, FACSM3,
- Judith G. Regensteiner, PHD4,
- Bryan J. Blissmer, PHD5,
- Richard R. Rubin, PHD6,
- Lisa Chasan-Taber, SCD, FACSM7,
- Ann L. Albright, PHD, RD8 and
- Barry Braun, PHD, FACSM9
- 1Human Movement Sciences Department, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia;
- 2Departments of Medicine, Cardiac Sciences, and Community Health Sciences, Faculties of Medicine and Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada;
- 3Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois;
- 4Divisions of General Internal Medicine and Cardiology and Center for Women's Health Research, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado;
- 5Department of Kinesiology and Cancer Prevention Research Center, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island;
- 6Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland;
- 7Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts;
- 8Division of Diabetes Translation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia;
- 9Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts.
- Corresponding author: Sheri R. Colberg, scolberg{at}odu.edu.
Although physical activity (PA) is a key element in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes, many with this chronic disease do not become or remain regularly active. High-quality studies establishing the importance of exercise and fitness in diabetes were lacking until recently, but it is now well established that participation in regular PA improves blood glucose control and can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, along with positively impacting lipids, blood pressure, cardiovascular events, mortality, and quality of life. Structured interventions combining PA and modest weight loss have been shown to lower risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 58% in high-risk populations. Most benefits of PA on diabetes management are realized through acute and chronic improvements in insulin action, accomplished with both aerobic and resistance training. The benefits of physical training are discussed, along with recommendations for varying activities, PA-associated blood glucose management, diabetes prevention, gestational diabetes mellitus, and safe and effective practices for PA with diabetes-related complications.
Diabetes has become a widespread epidemic, primarily due to increasing prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2007 almost 24 million Americans had diabetes, with one-quarter of those, or six million, undiagnosed (1). Currently, it is estimated that almost 60 million U.S. residents also have prediabetes—a condition in which blood glucose levels are above normal—thus greatly increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes (1). Lifetime risk estimates suggest that one in three Americans born in 2000 or later will develop diabetes, but in high-risk ethnic populations, closer to 50% may develop it (2). Diabetes is a significant cause of premature mortality and morbidity related to cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney and nerve disease, and amputation (1). Although regular PA may prevent or delay diabetes and its complications (3–10), the majority of people with type 2 diabetes are not active (11).
In this article, the broader term “physical activity” (defined as bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that substantially increases energy expenditure) is used interchangeably with “exercise,” which is defined as a subset of PA done with the intention of developing physical fitness (i.e., cardiovascular, strength, and flexibility training). The intent is to recognize that many types of physical movement may have a positive impact on physical fitness, morbidity, and mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Conclusion
Exercise plays a major role in the prevention and control of insulin resistance, prediabetes, gestational diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes, and diabetes-related health complications. Both aerobic training and resistance training improve insulin action, at least acutely, and can assist with management of blood glucose levels, lipids, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk, mortality, and quality of life, but exercise must be undertaken regularly to have continued benefits and likely include regular training of varying types. Most people with type 2 diabetes can perform exercise safely, as long as certain precautions are taken. The inclusion of an exercise program or other means of increasing overall PA is critical for optimal health in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Both the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) reviewed the relevant, published research and developed the recommendations that are defined in Table 1 and listed in Table 2. The entire position statement can be accessed online at http://care.diabetesjournals.org.
Evidence categories for ACSM and evidence-grading system for clinical practice recommendations for ADA
Summary of ACSM evidence and ADA clinical practice recommendation statements
Acknowledgments
No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.
Footnotes
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
See accompanying article, p. e147.
- © 2010 by the American Diabetes Association.
Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for details.
References
Reviews/Commentaries/ADA Statements