Blood sugar control declines with age and is influenced by genetics, diet, and physical activity. Muscle accounts for 42 percent or more of the total body mass in men, so it is an important tissue for regulating blood sugar. Laurie Black and colleagues from Arizona State University studied the effects of weight training intensity and volume on blood sugar control in adult men and women (average age about 30) with slightly elevated resting blood sugar levels (100-125 mg/dL).
High-intensity, multiple-set weight training controlled blood resting sugar better than single-set, low-intensity workouts. Blood sugar was lower without affecting blood insulin, which showed that weight training is an important and effective way to help control blood sugar. (Journal Strength Conditioning Research, 24: 1109-1116, 2010)