According to a study by the European Center for the Study of Diabetes (Strasbourg), the contraction of the muscles of the arm (triceps) could play a protective role against type 2 diabetes.
Joining forces against diabetes? The idea seems absurd, and yet. In recent years, it has been known that muscles have an effect on the pancreas. In a recent article in Scientific Reports, researchers French, Danish and swiss have shown that working your triceps – the muscles in the back of the arm – may have a protective effect on pancreatic cells, and benefit patients with type 2 diabetes.
Do not look, there is no hidden tendon that would connect the arms to the pancreas. In contrast, muscles, when called upon, secrete small proteins called myokines. These myokines can circulate in the blood and thus have a distant effect on all other organs. They are at the origin of metabolic transformations caused by physical exercise.
But there are hundreds of different myokines, and we are far from knowing their effect or even the expression profile of each muscle. Since the link between physical exercise and diabetes prevention is now well established, better understanding and identifying myokines represents a promising avenue of research.
Triceps for diabetes
And the researchers have identified a singular lead. By analyzing the profiles of three different muscles – in the calf, thigh, and arm – they showed that only the cells of the triceps produce myokines that have a protective effect on the cells of the pancreas. This experiment, carried out in vitro, tends to validate the protective effect of physical exercise. But not just any.
Skeletal muscles – those used for movement – are made up of fibers of two types. Red fibers (slow twitch) react to moderate effort but prolonged over time, consuming oxygen. Conversely, the white fibers (fast twitch and fatigable) are involved in more explosive efforts. A marathon runner will use his red fibers more, and a sprinter his white fibers. (We can also think of beef and chicken …)
Rather chicken than beef
Of course, each muscle contains both types of fiber, but in varying proportions. However, the triceps, which are the largest muscles in the arms, tend to be more loaded with white fibers (fast and fatigable) than, for example, the soleus muscles (calf). Since they also tend to secrete myokines that are beneficial to the pancreas, it is tempting to think that it is the white fibers that have a protective effect on diabetes.
The conclusion is that it is undoubtedly better to favor a physical exercise capable of soliciting at best the muscular zones rich in fast fibers. This is particularly the case for the large muscles of the arms (biceps, triceps) and pectorals. An activity requiring strength in the upper body, such as dumbbells or push-ups, will be more suitable than an endurance activity. As for the less athletic, they can always fall back on vacuuming or gardening …
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