Contrary what many people believe, type 2 diabetes and obesity do not protect the bones-they can destroy bone structure, making them more prone to fractures.
In the latest study of researchers from the Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Department of the University of Missouri, insulin resistance, which is one of the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes, and obesity, which is strongly linked to the metabolic disease, tend to create weaker bones.
For the study, the team used lab rats that had a predisposition to becoming obese and insulin resistant due to overeating. There's also another set of rats that were non-overeating to serve as the control group.
The over-eating rats were then divided into two groups. One of them overate but allowed to ride a wheel while the other overate but remained sedentary. The non-overeating rats, on the other hand, didn't have physical activity. All throughout the research, the team analyzed the development of the bones.
Based on the results of the research, all three groups experienced increase in bone mass. Previous unrelated studies have also shown that obese or overweight people tend to build more bone mass. However, unlike the presumption that the more obese the more bone mass and thus better protection against fractures, this study revealed that the overall gain in body mass didn't match the increased body weight.
Simply put, obese rats experienced decreased formation of bones, bone mass, and bone strength-but these happen only among those who belonged to the obese and sedentary group. Interestingly, rats that ran on wheels as a form of exercise didn't lose their bone strength. Rather, the exercise improved their bone quality much better than the control group.
Although the study didn't explain how exercise can enhance bone quality even for obese rats, the researchers believe that the activity can decrease the risk of insulin resistance and obesity. The researchers hope they can determine how type 2 diabetes reduces bone quality so appropriate interventions can be developed.
