ZOE Science & Nutrition

How to improve blood sugar control with exercise

Jan 19, 2023

Javier Gonzalez, an associate professor of human physiology, and Sarah Berry, a leading expert in human nutrition, discuss how exercise plays a crucial role in blood sugar management. They explore how different types of physical activity can improve blood sugar control, even while fasting. The conversation highlights the interplay between exercise intensity and hormonal changes, as well as practical tips for integrating movement into everyday life. Listeners discover the link between exercise, metabolic health, and dietary choices for optimal wellness.

46:56

Creator website

Episode guests

Sarah Berry

Javier Gonzalez

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Fidgeting Can Lower Blood Glucose Levels

01:29

The Effect of Exercise on Blood Sugar Levels and Fat Levels

01:54

How to Control Blood Sugar Levels

01:27

The Benefits of Exercise in a Fasted State

00:41

Intro

2min

Understanding Exercise's Impact on Blood Sugar Control

2min

Blood Sugar Control and Exercise Dynamics

28min

Integrating Activity into a Busy Life

2min

Exercise and Metabolism: Managing Blood Sugar and Fats

7min

The Impact of Exercise on Blood Sugar and Fat Levels

5min

Blood sugar is one of the rare nutrition topics where everyone agrees: We should avoid big peaks and dips and aim for a steady curve.

Spikes cause inflammation, accelerate aging, and lead to type 2 diabetes. Crashes make us feel moody and tired, and crave foods we don’t need.

We can control our blood sugar through what and how we eat. But something else affects our blood sugar — physical activity.

Exercise has a profound effect on your blood sugar response. Together with your food choices, being physically active helps you keep your blood sugar level even.

In this episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan speaks with Javier Gonzalez and Sarah Berry to find out how exercise affects our blood sugar response — even when we’re fasting — and how much exercise we need to do to benefit.

Javier Gonzalez is an associate professor of human physiology at the University of Bath whose research focuses on the interaction between diet and exercise.
Sarah Berry is one of the world's leading experts on human nutrition. She has personally run over 20 randomized clinical trials looking at how humans respond to different fats.

Download our FREE guide — Top 10 Tips to Live Healthier: https://zoe.com/freeguide

Timecodes:

00:00 - Introduction

00:12 - Topic introduction

01:39 - Quickfire questions

02:55 - Is a 30-minute walk as good as 30-minute cardio?

03:39 - What is blood sugar and why should we care about it?

05:10 - Blood sugar control throughout the day

07:43 - Why is it important to know about blood sugar?

09:01 - Blood sugar control

12:25 - How exercise affects blood sugar

14:17 - The power of fidgeting