New evidence has emerged to show the powerful effect of increased physical activity on reducing the risk of diabetes.
And not just casual activity: the study shows medium-to-vigorous exercise — the type you get riding a bike — is especially effective at lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
More than an hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day was associated with a 74% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared with participants who did less than five minutes of physical activity a day.
The good news is even better for those with a high genetic risk of diabetes. People in the high physical activity group had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared with those with a low genetic risk, but in the least active group.
The new study was by an international team of researchers led by the University of Sydney and is published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
It involved 59,325 adults from the UK Biobank who wore activity trackers worn on their wrist (accelerometers) and were followed for up to seven years to track their health outcomes.
A notable finding of the study was that by using data from electronic activity trackers rather than self-reported estimates, the effect of medium-to-vigorous intensity was stronger than previously understood, and was dose dependent, ie, the more intense the level of activity, the lower the diabetes risk.
Almost 1.2 million Australians were recorded as living with type 2 diabetes in 2020, at an annual cost of
$2 billion to the public health system.
The researchers say the study demonstrates higher levels of physical activity should be promoted as a major strategy for type 2 diabetes prevention, which affects millions of Australians.
Senior author, Associate Professor Melody Ding from the Charles Perkins Centre and the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, says although the role of genetics and physical activity in the onset of type 2 diabetes is well established, until now most data was self-reported and there was little evidence whether the genetic risk could be counteracted by physical activity.
"We are unable to control our genetic risk and family history, but this finding provides promising and positive news that through an active lifestyle, one can 'fight off' much of the excessive risk for type 2 diabetes," she said.
"Our hope is that this study will inform public health and clinical guidelines so that it can help chronic disease prevention for health professionals, organisations and the public."
Examples of vigorous-intensity physical activity include cycling uphill or at a fast pace, running, aerobic dancing and heavy gardening such as digging -- all activities that make you out of breath or cause you to breathe heavily.
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