Why walking helps a diabetic heart more than lifting weights
Changes in Titin and Collagen Modulate Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Diabetic Cardiac Function
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Resistance training lowered blood glucose more than aerobic exercise, yet aerobic exercise improved heart function more.
It contradicts the common assumption that better glucose control automatically means better heart health—suggesting heart stiffness may be driven by different mechanisms.
Practical Takeaways
If you have diabetes, prioritize aerobic exercise like walking, cycling, or swimming for heart health—even if you're also doing strength training for blood sugar.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Resistance training lowered blood glucose more than aerobic exercise, yet aerobic exercise improved heart function more.
It contradicts the common assumption that better glucose control automatically means better heart health—suggesting heart stiffness may be driven by different mechanisms.
Practical Takeaways
If you have diabetes, prioritize aerobic exercise like walking, cycling, or swimming for heart health—even if you're also doing strength training for blood sugar.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Cardiovascular Translational Research
Year
2019
Authors
Shunchang Li, Min Liang, Derun Gao, Q. Su, I. Laher
Related Content
Claims (2)
When diabetic rats get regular cardio exercise, their heart muscle becomes more flexible and less stiff because they make more of a spring-like protein (titin) and less of the scar-like proteins (collagen and TGFβ1), which helps their hearts fill with blood better.
In rats with diabetes, when their heart relaxes better between beats, it’s more because the heart muscle itself becomes less stiff from changes in a protein called titin—not because there’s less scar tissue from collagen.