burn your calories the right way for runners with diabetes

Goodbye donuts, bubble tea, instant noodles, hot pot, rice, and big plate chicken. Take them away, don't be polite.

Goodbye caffeine, quit cola and greasy food. Couch, takeout, and video games, stop staying up late and hurting your body.

Come on, turn around, hot yoga, sit-ups, spinning, Pilates, and goji berries in a thermos.

Come on, take a deep breath, morning run, night run, swim a few meters, plank, dumbbells, rowing machine, never give up until you reach your goal.

I've been brainwashed by this song recently. It's got a devilish melody and realistic lyrics. Thinking about friends around me and patients I often encounter, they go on diets at the drop of a hat, look at delicious food but can't enjoy it, or regularly take diabetes medication and calculate insulin doses. It's really tough, such a life is no fun. Instead of eating and drinking excessively and getting sick, it's better to eat and run, and enjoy a 'slim' life!

I have a friend who used to be very overweight. Although he never got tested, he was definitely at high risk for diabetes. Yes! He is @YanZhiYouLi. Three years ago, this panting fat guy was running behind me. After three years of persistent exercise, not only has his athletic performance improved significantly, but his physical condition has also undergone a dramatic transformation!

Alright, now let's talk about diabetes, a disease that was unfamiliar in the past but seems to be increasingly common in our lives. With economic development and improved living standards, diabetes, once nicknamed the 'disease of affluence,' has become a common ailment. Academic statistics show that the prevalence of diabetes among adults in China is 10.9%, and the rate of pre-diabetes is about 35.7%. This means that among ten middle-aged people, one is a diabetic, and among a hundred middle-aged people, thirty-five are pre-diabetic.

What are the criteria for identifying high-risk groups for diabetes?

1. People with a family history of diabetes.

2. People who already have hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or cardiovascular diseases.

3. People who are sedentary for long periods.

4. Pregnant women aged 30 or older; those with a history of gestational diabetes; those who have given birth to large babies (≥4kg); women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

5. Friends over 45 years old with a body mass index (BMI) over 24. (BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height^2 (m))

If you meet any of the above criteria, your risk of developing diabetes in the future is significantly increased. So, what are the typical symptoms of diabetes?

1. Excessive thirst, frequent urination, increased appetite, and weight loss.

Severe hyperglycemia presents with the typical 'three polys and one less' symptoms, commonly seen in type 1 diabetes. These symptoms are more pronounced when ketoacidosis or ketosis occurs.

2. Fatigue, weakness, and obesity.

Commonly seen in type 2 diabetes. Obesity often precedes the onset of type 2 diabetes. If not diagnosed in time, weight will gradually decrease.

If your test results do not meet the following criteria, you can be diagnosed with diabetes:

Fasting blood glucose normal range is 3.9-5.6 mmol/L. Postprandial blood glucose (2 hours after eating) ≤ 7.8 mmol/L.

When visiting the hospital, specialists usually advise you to monitor blood glucose levels, control your diet, ensure adequate sleep, and exercise more. But how exactly should you exercise? Well, let me tell you how diabetic patients should exercise correctly.

1. Type of exercise

The best type of exercise for diabetic patients is aerobic exercise. Brisk walking and jogging are the best forms of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise not only improves cardiovascular function but also enhances muscle oxygen consumption capacity. The stronger the muscle's oxygen consumption capacity, the better it can utilize glucose, which is beneficial for diabetes control.

2. Timing of exercise

The ideal time to exercise is 60 minutes after a meal. Exercising 90 minutes or 30 minutes after a meal may be less effective. Exercise increases muscle sensitivity to insulin, speeding up the transfer of glucose from the blood into the muscles, thereby lowering blood glucose levels more quickly. Although pre-meal exercise is not ineffective, it is less effective than exercising 60 minutes after a meal. Each exercise session should last at least 30 minutes to achieve blood glucose control. Carry glucose tablets during exercise to prevent hypoglycemia.

3. Frequency of exercise

It is best to exercise at least three times a week, and even better if you can exercise daily. For diabetic patients, the effects of a single high-efficiency exercise session can last for about 24-48 hours. If the interval between sessions exceeds 48 hours, the exercise effect will be interrupted, and the best cumulative glucose-lowering effect will not be achieved.

4. Intensity of exercise

Many people think that walking for an hour or taking 10,000 steps is enough. However, if the intensity is not sufficient to stimulate the body adequately, the exercise will be ineffective. On the other hand, excessive exercise intensity can cause muscle, joint, or even bone injuries, which is counterproductive. So how should exercise intensity be quantified? There is now a standard that uses heart rate to measure intensity:

Depending on individual factors such as gender, age, and physical condition, the recommended intensity is 60%-80% of the maximum heart rate (maximum heart rate = 220 - age). The higher the intensity within one's capacity, the better. For example, for a 50-year-old person, the maximum heart rate is 170 beats per minute (220-50=170), and the suitable exercise intensity should not be lower than 102 beats per minute (170×60%=102). If physical fitness is poor, the intensity can be reduced, but the duration of exercise should be extended.

In summary, for those at risk of diabetes and those already diagnosed, the best exercise is to jog aerobically for at least 30 minutes at 60% of your maximum heart rate, one hour after a meal. This improves the body's ability to use insulin and metabolize glucose, thereby stabilizing blood glucose levels, reducing dependence on medication, and achieving a better quality of life.

As for marathon running, diabetic patients can also complete it by adhering to three principles: regular lifestyle, moderate diet, and gradual exercise. After all, we all have examples of such runners around us!