The Study
Resistance training, skeletal muscle hypertrophy, and glucose homeostasis: how related are they? A Systematic review and Meta-analysis.
This study looks at 33 other studies to see if building muscle through resistance training helps control blood sugar. It finds that both things tend to happen at the same time, but it can't say for sure that one causes the other.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looks at whether gaining muscle from lifting weights helps the body manage blood sugar better.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 546 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1The results show that while muscle gain and better blood sugar control happen together, one doesn’t necessarily cause the other.
- 2Lifting weights helped people gain muscle (effect size 0.24), lower their blood sugar after eating (effect sizes -0.30 to -0.40), and respond better to insulin (effect size 0.38).
- 3But gaining more muscle didn’t always mean better blood sugar control.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Year
2024
Authors
J. Paquin, R. Tremblay, H. Islam, E. Riesco, A. Marcotte-Chénard, I. J. Dionne
Related Content
Claims (5)
Just building more muscle through weight training doesn’t always help your body manage blood sugar better — something else besides muscle size might be responsible for the health perks.
Lifting weights helps adults gain muscle — studies show it consistently leads to modest muscle growth when done regularly.
Lifting weights can help your body handle sugar better, making your blood sugar levels more stable after meals.
Lifting weights regularly might help your body use insulin better, which can be good for your overall health.
Lifting weights to build muscle can help your body store more sugar and improve blood sugar control over time, leading to lower fasting blood sugar and better insulin sensitivity.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.