The Benefits of Cycling for Individuals With Diabetes
In April 2022, I shared with you a study that suggests that exercise can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes1 in those who are overweight or obese. In fact, "for every additional 17 minutes of brisk daily walking, the participants saw a 6% reduction in their risk of developing diabetes." Yet exercise is also important for those who already have diabetes; it helps improve glucose control and cardiovascular fitness and reduces the risk of overall mortality as well as mortality due to heart disease.2
An international team of researchers noted that one of the greatest barriers to regular exercise is time.3 What if people with diabetes started using a bicycle for regular short-to-medium trips, such as commuting? What impact might that have on their risk of mortality?
The Research
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is an ongoing study that began recruiting participants in 10 Western European countries between 1992 and 2000 and continues today. Over 500,000 men and women are included, but for today’s research, the authors focused on the over 7400 people who had been diagnosed with diabetes (any type) before the study began.
Upon recruitment, the participants responded to a detailed lifestyle survey that allowed the researchers to assess the participants' levels and types of physical activity, from the nature of their work to any leisure time exercise as well as activities of daily life.
Additionally, the participants completed a detailed dietary questionnaire as well as demographic and medical history surveys. Their height, weight, and waist circumference were recorded along with their medical history. Five years later, the surviving participants again responded to a lifestyle questionnaire.
After an average of 10 years of follow-up, the authors compared the amount of cycling the surviving participants reported at the start of the study with that of those participants who passed away.
The Results
After considering several variables—from Mediterranean diet score to other health conditions such as high blood pressure—the authors found that compared to those who did not bicycle at the start of the study, those who averaged less than one hour of cycling per week were 22% less likely to die of any cause. Those who cycled between 60 and 149 minutes per week reduced their risk of death by 24%, and those who bicycled between 150 and 299 minutes per week were 32% less likely to die of any cause.
With the results from the follow-up survey, the authors could also look at those who started cycling after the initial survey, those who stopped cycling, and those who reported cycling at both surveys.
Individuals who maintained their cycling habit enjoyed the lowest risk of mortality from heart disease or any other cause—a drop of about 36%. But those who did not initially bicycle but reported any amount of cycling at the second survey still saw their overall risk of death fall by 34%. Similar results held for risk of death from heart disease.
What’s the Take Home?
Certainly, there are plenty of barriers to cycling: first, you need a bicycle, then you need somewhere safe to ride it.
What I take from this study is that cycling is great exercise, but any moderately intense exercise that you can do consistently will help those with diabetes reduce their risk of mortality. Aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise per week, which breaks down to 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.
Reference:
- Harlan TS. Exercise more effective than medication in preventing diabetes. Dr. Gourmet. Published April 14, 2021. Accessed January 3, 2023. https://www.drgourmet.com/bites/2021/041421.shtml
- Colberg SR, Sigal RJ, Yardley JE, et al. Physical activity/exercise and diabetes: a position statement of the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Care. 2016;39(11):2065-2079. doi:10.2337/dc16-1728
- Ried-Larsen, M, Rasmussen MG, Blond K, et al. Association of cycling with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality among persons with diabetes. JAMA Intern Med. 2021;181(9):1196-1205. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.3836
Dr. Gourmet is the definitive health and nutrition web resource for both physicians and patients with evidence-based resources including special diets for coumadin users, patients with GERD/acid reflux, celiac disease, type 2 diabetes, low sodium diets (1500 mg/d), and lactose intolerance.
Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS, is a practicing, board-certified Internist. He is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine at George Washington University and Director of the GW Culinary Medicine Program.
Health meets Food: the Culinary Medicine Curriculum, is an innovative program teaching medical students about diet and lifestyle that bridges the gap between the basic sciences, clinical medicine, the community, and culinary education. Medical students work side-by-side in the kitchen with culinary students to teach each other, and most importantly, teach the community and patients how to return to their kitchens and transform their health.
He served as Associate Dean for Clinical Services at Tulane University School of Medicine and is the founder and Senior Advisor of the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, the first-of-its-kind teaching kitchen operated by a medical school.
Dr Harlan attended medical school at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and pursued his residency at Emory University School of Medicine Affiliated Hospitals in Atlanta, GA.