Which workout burns fat and lowers blood sugar best?
Effects of aerobic, resistance, and combined exercise training on body fat and glucolipid metabolism in inactive middle-aged adults with overweight or obesity: a randomized trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Three groups of overweight men tried different workouts for 8 weeks: lifting weights, cardio, or both. All lost similar amounts of fat and improved good cholesterol, but only weight lifting lowered blood sugar the most, while cardio lowered bad cholesterol best.
Surprising Findings
Resistance training improved glycemic control more than aerobic training — despite both burning similar calories.
Common belief is that cardio, being continuous and heart-rate-raising, is best for blood sugar. But this study shows muscle-building exercise has a stronger metabolic effect on glucose handling.
Practical Takeaways
If you're prediabetic or insulin resistant, prioritize 2–3 weekly resistance training sessions over extra cardio.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Three groups of overweight men tried different workouts for 8 weeks: lifting weights, cardio, or both. All lost similar amounts of fat and improved good cholesterol, but only weight lifting lowered blood sugar the most, while cardio lowered bad cholesterol best.
Surprising Findings
Resistance training improved glycemic control more than aerobic training — despite both burning similar calories.
Common belief is that cardio, being continuous and heart-rate-raising, is best for blood sugar. But this study shows muscle-building exercise has a stronger metabolic effect on glucose handling.
Practical Takeaways
If you're prediabetic or insulin resistant, prioritize 2–3 weekly resistance training sessions over extra cardio.
Publication
Journal
BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Year
2024
Authors
Friew Amare, Yehualaw Alemu, Mollalign Enichalew, Yalemsew Demilie, S. Adamu
Related Content
Claims (4)
If you burn the same number of calories overall, doing both strength training and cardio does not lead to more fat loss in specific areas than doing cardio alone.
For inactive middle-aged men with overweight or obesity, 8 weeks of resistance training leads to a larger improvement in blood sugar control during a glucose tolerance test than aerobic training.
For inactive middle-aged men with overweight or obesity, doing aerobic exercise or a mix of aerobic and strength training for 8 weeks lowers LDL cholesterol slightly more than doing strength training alone.
For inactive middle-aged men with overweight or obesity, doing aerobic exercise for 8 weeks lowers total cholesterol levels more than doing resistance training.