New research suggests that picking up the weights may be more effective than hitting the treadmill when it comes to controlling blood sugar and preventing diabetes.

A team from Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute has discovered that resistance training — like weightlifting or bodyweight exercises — may do a better job at improving how the body manages sugar and fat. 

To understand how different types of exercise affect metabolism, researchers fed mice a high-fat diet to mimic human obesity and insulin resistance, which are two major risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

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They split the mice into two workout groups: endurance trainers that ran on a wheel, and strength trainers that had to lift a weighted door to get their food, which mimics squatting under increasing loads.

After several weeks, both exercise groups showed big health benefits compared to sedentary mice — including less body fat, better blood sugar control and more efficient insulin use — but the “weightlifting” mice came out ahead.

“Our data showed that both running and weightlifting reduce fat in the abdomen and under the skin, and improve blood glucose maintenance, with better insulin signaling in skeletal muscle,” Zhen Yan, professor and director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC’s Center for Exercise Medicine Research, said in a press release.

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“Importantly, weightlifting outperforms running in these health benefits.”

The mice that lifted weights not only burned off more fat under their skin, but also reduced the more dangerous visceral fat, the kind that wraps around internal organs and raises diabetes risk. 

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They also cleared sugar from their blood more effectively than the runners.

Weightlifting didn’t just make mice stronger — their bodies also handled sugar more efficiently and resisted diabetes. (iStock)

These benefits weren’t simply because they built more muscle, the researchers found — the resistance workouts also triggered unique changes in metabolism and muscle-signaling that helped control glucose levels more efficiently.

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While this research was conduced in mice and not humans, it adds to a growing body of evidence showing that strength training is a powerful tool for metabolic health.

It could also be encouraging for people who can’t do long bouts of cardio, highlighting how resistance training may offer a good alternative.

Scientists say combining cardio and strength training could deliver the best results for long-term metabolic health. (iStock)

“The findings also bring good news for people who, for any number of reasons, cannot engage in endurance-type exercise,” Yan said. “Weight training has equal, if not better, anti-diabetes benefits.”

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The researchers recommend combining cardio and strength training for best results, creating a balanced approach that targets the heart, muscles and metabolism.

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“The take-home message is that you should do both endurance and resistance exercise, if possible, to get the most health benefit,” Yan added.

The study was published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science.

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Anyone living in the Maldives born after Jan. 1, 2007, may be affected by the first-ever generational smoking ban.

On Nov. 1, a new law — proposed by the country’s President Mohamed Muizzu earlier this year — took effect in the country, banning an entire generation from smoking, purchasing or using tobacco.

In a press release, the Ministry of Health called it a “historic milestone in the nation’s efforts to protect public health and promote a tobacco-free generation.”

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The ban applies to all forms of tobacco, and retailers are required to verify the age of users prior to any sale.

The Maldives also maintains a complete ban on the import, sale, distribution, possession and use of electronic cigarettes and vaping products, regardless of age.

“The Generational Ban on Tobacco reflects the Government’s strong commitment to protecting young people from the harms of tobacco,” the Ministry added in the statement.

The World Health Organization has called tobacco use an “epidemic” and “one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced.”

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The WHO’s data shows that tobacco use is responsible for over seven  million deaths annually, as well as disability and long-term suffering from tobacco-related diseases.

The new law bars anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007, from buying or using tobacco products. (iStock)

“All forms of tobacco use are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco,” the agency states. 

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The organization added that cigarette smoking is the most common form of tobacco use worldwide.

The law complements existing restrictions on e-cigarettes and vaping products. (iStock)

The Maldives is the first country to see a generational smoking ban come to fruition, although New Zealand proposed a ban that would have outlawed tobacco sales to those born after Jan. 1, 2009, starting in 2024. 

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Before the ban could take effect, however, it was struck down in 2023.

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Britain is currently considering a similar law, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which, if passed, would prohibit anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009, from buying tobacco products or vapes.