How Physical Activity Can Modify Metabolism and Protect Against T2D

A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland suggests that consistent physical activity can significantly modify the body’s metabolism, which will reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D).  

Type 2 diabetes is one of the biggest epidemics experienced by humans worldwide. Weight gain and inadequate exercise can Increase the risk of having this health condition. Some previous studies show that performance of about 150min/week of physical activity and eating healthy foods can help decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Also, a cohort study by Smith, A.D.; Crippa, A.; Woodcock, J.; Brage, S et al. shows that physical activity helps to decrease the risk of having type 2 diabetes by 30–50% versus those who do not perform any exercise. An increase in exercise can improve insulin sensitivity and decrease sugar levels in the blood. It can also aid in the uptake of glucose through the skeletal muscle. However, there has never been an extensive study that shows the relationship between physical activity and metabolite profile. This study is the first to establish a strong relationship between many metabolites and exercise. The University of Eastern Finland researchers examined the relationship between regular exercise with insulin secretion, sensitivity, and metabolic profile and the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes among men who participated in the Metabolic Syndrome In Men (METSIM) study.   

The new study shows that consistent exercising can significantly improve the body’s metabolite profile, reducing the risk of having type 2 diabetes. This cohort study includes 10,197 Finnish men randomly selected from Eastern Finland, aged 45–73 years. Over 7,000 participants were monitored for eight years. Men were divided into four groups according to their physical activity. The categories were those who are not physically active, the rarely physically active, those who exercised regularly but no more than twice weekly, and those who exercised consistently for at least three-time weekly. One session for exercise lasts for at least 30 minutes. One thousand two hundred sixty metabolites of fasting glucose samples were evaluated from those that participated in this cohort study. Researchers examined the relationship between physical activity and modification of metabolism and how it helps to reduce the risk of having type 2 diabetes. Participants did not have diabetes before the study. An oral glucose test was performed on them. Participants’ metabolites were evaluated from fasting plasma glucose. Also, at the beginning of the trial and at the eight year point of the trial, a physical activity questionnaire was carried out among those that participated in the study. 

This study reported that 198 metabolites significantly were related to physical activity. The results of this cohort study show that an increased leisure-time physical activity of at least two and half hours a week was associated with a reduction in risk of having type 2 diabetes by 39%. In contrast, those engaging in physical activity of less than or equal to two times weekly experienced a reduction in risk of having type 2 diabetes by 30%. In addition, men in the physically active group experienced decreased fasting glucose, increased insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion during the follow-up period compared to those in the physically inactive group. 

In conclusion, the study shows that men who participated in the physically active group experienced a healthier metabolite profile, lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, decreased fasting blood glucose, and increased insulin and secretion compared to those in the control group. These results are coherent with earlier studies that show the relationship between a healthy diet and an increase in metabolite profile that can help lower the risk of having diabetes. This study is the most extensive population-based study investigating the relationship between physical activity and metabolic profile. Additionally, after measuring 1290 metabolites from 7271 participants, the study had excellent power to generate reliable results on the relationship between physical activity and metabolites. The association of physical activity with insulin secretion has remained unclear, despite several studies on the matter. The study published now confirms that increased physical activity improves insulin secretion.  

Practice Pearls: 

• Regular exercise significantly modifies the body’s metabolism, and these modifications are associated with decreased risk of having type 2 diabetes.
• Metabolite profile has not been evaluated extensively in a previous study. Therefore, this study is the first to extensively establish the relationship between many metabolites’ profiles and physical activity.
• Men in the physically active group had a healthier metabolite profile and a decreased risk of having type 2 diabetes than participants in the physically inactive group. However, everyone that participated in this study was middle-aged and elderly Finnish men. Therefore, it is not sure the results are credible for women and other populations.  

“Physical Activity Protects against Type 2 Diabetes by Modifying Metabolism.” ScienceDaily, January 26, 2022, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220126144214.htm.  

 Smith, A.D.; Crippa, A.; Woodcock, J.; Brage, S. Physical activity and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Diabetologia 2016, 59, 2527–2545. [PubMed] 

 Kemppainen SM, Fernandes Silva L, Lankinen MA, Schwab U, Laakso M. Metabolite signature of physical activity and the risk of type 2 diabetes in 7271 men. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/12/1/69/htm. Published January 12, 2022,  oi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.46705 

 Janet Falade, PharmD Candidate, South College School of Pharmacy