UNIT 6: Investigative project
Project Research
The effect of physical activity on Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes
Hypothesis: Physical activity manages the blood sugar levels of type 1 diabetes and type
2 diabetes. If I run, my blood sugar will stay at a constant 4.5 mol.
Abstract
The Aim of this Review was to study and compare the effect of Physical Activity on Type
1 and Type 2 diabetes. The main purpose of this piece is to gain insight into the different
ways in which individuals with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels through
physical exercise. Physical Activity can improve an individual's well-being, and it is
recommended for the management of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Throughout
this review, various literature was studied for the researcher to gain a greater
understanding of measuring the effects of physical exercise on glycemic control, blood
pressure, lipid levels, diabetes complication, metabolic changes, and overall mortality on
Type 1 diabetes. In this investigation, the patients' blood sugar levels will be examined
before and after exercise to understand the effect exercise on type 1 diabetes and how
blood sugar levels are managed. According to The American Diabetes Association
(2023) there are various ways in which blood sugar can lowered through exercise. This
includes the process of insulin sensitivity being increased, allowing muscle cells to be
better able to use available insulin to take up glucose during and after activity.
Additionally, during muscle contractions during activity, cells are able to up glucose to
use for energy, whether insulin is available or not. Harvard Health Publishing (2021)
states that there are many studies that highlight the benefits of exercise for individuals
with Type 2 diabetes. Moreover, added benefits for diabetic individuals include; exercise
lowers blood glucose levels and boosts the body's sensitivity to insulin, countering
insulin resistance. In Type 1 diabetes mellitus, however, the benefits of physical activity
are less clear (Chiman et al., 2012).
, Research goals
The research goal for this project is to gain an understanding of the effect of exercise on
Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The research strives to understand how diabetes can be
managed through exercise, available research within this and current research being
undertaken on Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as how diabetes could potentially be
treated in the future. To gain greater knowledge and understanding of the effect of
exercise on Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the researcher will measure blood sugar levels
against physical exercise in a gym setting. The researcher suffers from Type 1 diabetes
and will therefore be the test subject for this experiment. The diabetes of the researcher
is managed thoroughly already, by checking Libre and finger pricking methods three
times daily. Moreover, diabetes is managed by counting carbohydrates in food and
consuming a low sugar food diet. Exercise has been undertaken four times a week for
five years, mainly consistent of doing cardiovascular and weights training. In terms of
cardio routine; this includes the Stairmaster machine for fifteen minutes and the
treadmill for thirty minutes. In terms of weight training routine; dedicate one day to legs
and one day to arms. In both weight routines, various machines are used such as
shoulder press and hip thrusts. In my experiment, another participant will be present in
case an accident was to occur such as suddenly feeling unwell, fainting or needing to
eat quickly. This participant will also have signed a consent form that has information on
how they will be attending.
Introduction
Diabetes mellitus presents itself as an autoimmune condition that causes a patient’s
blood sugar levels to become abnormally high (Aoife & Dinneen,2019). The main two
types of Diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2 (NationalHealthService, 2019). Type 1 consists
of the body’s immune system destroying the cells that produce insulin. Whereas Type 2
diabetes occurs due to pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body’s cells are
not reacting to the insulin being made. (National Health Service,2019).
