At the start of each year, there is often an uptick in people joining the gym with the ambition to get healthier, and we’re not going to knock it. But are you doing the right form of exercise? If it’s all cardio and no muscle building then you need to rethink. And if your blood sugars, HbA1c or fasting insulin are already creeping in the wrong direction, this is one of the highest-leverage things you can change.
As a Registered Nutritional Therapist, I sit with people every week in clinic who are walking the dog, hitting their steps and eating well, but who still can’t shift their blood sugar numbers. Almost every time, the missing piece is muscle.
Muscle is not reserved for bodybuilders. We all need muscles to walk, balance, lift things, sit down, stand up, you name it. We would be immobile without them.
Muscles even knock the skin off the top spot as the largest organ in the human body, so prioritising muscle maintenance and growth is a vital aspect of living a healthy life, including balancing your blood sugars and avoiding and reversing type 2 diabetes.
If you already know your numbers are off and you want to talk it through, you can book a free 20-minute call before you read another line. We’ll tell you whether muscle, food, sleep or stress is the bigger lever in your specific case.
Muscle mass and blood sugars
Let’s recap. When you eat, your body breaks down carbohydrates into sugar (glucose) which enters your bloodstream. Insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas, signals to your cells (we are made of trillions of cells) to absorb sugar for energy or storage, depending on what is required. This includes the cells in your muscles.
So the more muscle you have, the more cells you have available to absorb glucose from your bloodstream. Think of it like having more bags to hold your shopping. With more muscle mass, there are more places for glucose to go, which results in lowering the level of sugar in your blood.
When you exercise, your muscles need extra energy, so they draw in more glucose from your bloodstream to fuel your workout. They may also pull sugar back out of storage, which can mean fat loss as a side benefit. Having ample muscle mass means your body can efficiently use up sugar, helping to maintain stable blood sugar levels during exercise. This is one of the main mechanisms we work on inside our blood sugar and insulin resistance programme, because diet alone rarely fixes a deconditioned muscle bed.
As a bonus, having more muscle mass is linked to better insulin sensitivity. This means your muscle cells are more responsive to insulin’s signal to take in sugar, reducing the need for your pancreas to produce excess insulin. This is great news for preventing insulin resistance, which is the precursor to type 2 diabetes, and in turn lowers the risk of progression. If you’ve never had your fasting insulin checked, that is usually the first marker we run.
How do muscles help us live longer?
We’ll do anything to live longer, right? But the reality is, our life expectancy has been increasing in the UK while our healthy life expectancy has been decreasing.
According to the latest data from the ONS, healthy life expectancy in the UK is estimated to be around 63.5 years for men and 64.8 years for women. So while people in the UK have a life expectancy of 79.3 years for men and 83.1 years for women, a shocking portion of those final years may be spent in poor health.
Two people. Same life expectancy. Very different last 20 years. Muscle is one of the biggest reasons one of them is still doing the gardening at 80 and the other is housebound. So how can having greater muscle mass support not only longevity but also quality of life as we age?
What muscle actually does as you age
Improved metabolism
Muscle burns more energy and calories compared to fat even at rest. This can help maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity, which is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, including cancer.
Better mobility
Greater muscle mass is associated with better physical function and mobility, which are essential for maintaining independence and quality of life. As we age, the risk of sarcopenia (muscle wastage) increases, making strong muscles vital for posture, balance and reducing the risk of falls and injuries. This is the bit that scared Dave the most when he came to see us at 69, and is exactly why he reclaimed his health and got off his medications.
Strong bones
Strength training not only builds muscle but also helps strengthen bones. This is particularly important for preventing osteoporosis and reducing the risk of fractures, which become more common as we age and can result in limited mobility and physical decline. This is especially important for women, as the drop in oestrogen during menopause increases the risk of osteoporosis.
Positive mental health
Regular physical activity, including strength training, has been shown to have positive effects on mental health. Exercise releases endorphins, which can improve mood, reduce stress and alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. It can also be a social activity, which helps alleviate loneliness, one of the biggest contributors to all-cause mortality.
Blood sugar regulation
As well as better blood sugar control, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and the comorbidities this condition causes: blindness, amputation, poor immunity, slow wound healing and being twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke. This is the same web of risks we untangle in our cardio-metabolic explainer, because cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure are usually the same underlying problem.
Have I convinced you to grow your muscles yet?
If yes, and you want a personalised plan rather than a generic gym programme, this is the natural point to talk to us about That Blood Sugar Fix. It’s our shortest, most focused way to get your blood sugars, training and food working together.
How to improve muscle mass at any age
It’s never too late to grow muscle, so if that’s what comes to mind I encourage you not to let age be the restriction. No matter what age we start, getting professional support is important so that we perform exercises correctly and build a plan that suits our needs and current health status.
Weightlifting and strength or resistance training hold the top spot as the most effective way to build muscle. Pilates, swimming, yoga and walking or hiking can also be beneficial for maintaining muscle strength and size.
Why not enquire at your local gym, leisure centre or spa facility, or ask a family member to join you as you navigate a new sport?
A few things to stay on top of to support muscle health and growth:
Consistency, a little and often can go a long way.
Protein intake, because muscles are made of protein we need to eat it to grow them.
Vitamin D status, our uptake from the sun also declines as we age. We unpack this further in our vitamin D and metabolic health article.
Hydration, protein synthesis requires good levels of hydration.
Good recovery and rest, because progression in anything in life also requires adequate rest.
If you’d like to see what this looks like in someone real, Lou came off his medication by dropping 44kg, and protein, strength and consistency were three of the biggest levers we pulled with him.
The takeaway
Building muscle through activities like weightlifting or resistance training is about much more than aesthetics.
Incorporating regular strength work into your routine, along with a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle habits, can go a long way in improving your blood sugar control and healthy life expectancy as you age.
The result: you get to live the life you deserve.
Next steps, depending on where you are right now:
Just exploring? Read our free walking and blood sugar guide for the simplest, most under-used way to get muscle and glucose working together: the That Blood Sugar walking guide.
Want to see your numbers? Book a Wellness Check and we’ll run the bloods (including fasting insulin and HbA1c) and build you a clear picture of where your muscle, metabolism and risk currently sit: see our Wellness Checks.
Ready to fix it? Our blood sugar and insulin resistance programme is the one we’d recommend if you’ve already got rising blood sugars, a pre-diabetes flag, or a family history you can’t ignore. Or just book a free 20-minute call and we’ll point you to the right rung.
Natalie Louise Burrows is a Registered Nutritional Therapist and Founder of Integral Wellness. She specialises in reversing insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and the wider cardio-metabolic picture, helping clients reduce or come off medication, rebuild energy and protect their healthy life expectancy.
