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Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

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Re: Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

#31
"In this model, mice lived in specially designed cages where food was accessed through a hinged, weighted lid. To eat, the mice had to lift the lid while wearing a small shoulder collar, causing a squat-like movement that engaged the muscle contractions people use during resistance exercise. The load was gradually increased over several days, mimicking progressive strength training."

So the study doesn't really show that weighlifting per se is beneficial, but putting food behind weighted hatches is?

"Voluntary wheel running (EEX) was conducted as previously described in single-housed mice with access to voluntary running wheels and food and water ad-libitum,"

And the runners could each as much as they liked?

Sounds like bunk.

Re: Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

#32

Weightlifing is the only exercise that I've ever managed to make a habit. I do powerlifting 3x/week. I've tried running, swimming, cycling, etc. and hated all of it.

Have you tried sprint workouts as a complement to powerlifting?

Re: Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

#34

Weightlifing is the only exercise that I've ever managed to make a habit. I do powerlifting 3x/week. I've tried running, swimming, cycling, etc. and hated all of it.

Running is quite meditative when you get in to it (at least for me when outside - indoor running on treadmills is soul destroying though I agree). You don't have to go fast or far, but after 10-15-20 mins I find my mind gets into a fairly calm state, even if my legs and lungs are burning. We - as a species - are engineered and built to run. I think there is a lot to be said for it. If anyone is reading this and consi…

10km/h is very fast for a beginner and likely unsustainable for more than a couple of minutes, I would expect most people to be starting around 5-6km/h if they’re a healthy weight.

I think the best piece of advice is START SLOW. way slower than you think. And run for way shorter than you think. Even if your lungs and muscles are fine, if you haven’t ran for a while then your tendons certainly aren’t. You won’t know until it’s too late and then you’ll be out of the game for weeks or months. If you can run on grass or a softer surface your body will thank you, running on concrete is brutal until you’re used to it.

There’s probably programs than you can follow that introduce you to running, I’d follow one of those.

Re: Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

#35
post #24

I used to do weightlifting, but it's hard to keep up daily discipline with potential injury risk. Rest days are mandatory and this is the #1 killer of compliance over time (for me). Rowing is my go-to now. It is low impact so I can do it every day without any exceptions. I've been able to hold onto this discipline for 2 years now. The advantage of rowing is that there isn't really a limit to how much it can suck. You…

It's funny you should say that because I had to stop rowing due to repetitive strain on my ankle.

Re: Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

#37

The exercise you like doing and will do beats no exercise at all for blood sugar control

Yeah but sometimes you have to do things you don't particularly like. For example there are lots of people who do nothing but cycling and never do any sort of strength training which is certainly healthier than doing absolutely nothing but they are really missing out by not doing strength training.

Re: Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

#38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Running is quite meditative when you get in to it (at least for me when outside - indoor running on treadmills is soul destroying though I agree). You don't have to go fast or far, but after 10-15-20 mins I find my mind gets into a fairly calm state, even if my legs and lungs are burning. We - as a species - are engineered and built to run. I think there is a lot to be said for it. If anyone is reading this and consi…

10km/h is very fast for a beginner and likely unsustainable for more than a couple of minutes, I would expect most people to be starting around 5-6km/h if they’re a healthy weight. I think the best piece of advice is START SLOW. way slower than you think. And run for way shorter than you think. Even if your lungs and muscles are fine, if you haven’t ran for a while then your tendons certainly aren’t. You won’t know u…

You expect people to start running at 5-6km/h which is about a fast walking pace? That seems unduly slow?

Re: Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

#39
I try to be open minded about research choices because I have no special knowledge of what will or won’t be important. Left-field discoveries have made profound and positive impacts on many occasions.

I’m having trouble with this one, and am tempted to write it off as playing with mice in a lab. The extrapolation to human conditions is hyperbolic, maybe worse.

Given the number of people with continuous glucose monitors and activity tracking watches in the world, why not study that data directly? Causation by activity would be more apparent, more relevant and more significant (if present) wouldn’t it?

Re: Weightlifting beats running for blood sugar control, researchers find (2025)

#40
In mice...

These poor quality animal studies tend to be non-replicable, but provide fodder for predatory journals and tabloid journalism. And for getting grants from gullible philanthropists.

Citations and money, a great outcome for some random graduate student at a third tier programme...

I treat many obese adult diabetics. It is difficult to get most of them to go for a brisk walk a couple of times a week, far less do weight lifting before each meal. There is a reason why they are diabetics ( apart from the genetic overlay , which is a major factor in some populations).

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