Mixed
Type 2 diabetes is associated with a 20-30% reduction in peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and reduced exercise tolerance, independent of known cardiovascular risk factors or overt cardiovascular disease.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, you likely have a 20-30% lower maximum aerobic capacity than a healthy peer, even if you don't have heart disease. This is not just because you are less active; it is a physiological change in your heart, muscles, and blood vessels. To improve this, focus on gradual aerobic training, as it can help mitigate these specific impairments, but expect that your baseline capacity is lower than non-diabetic standards.
This defect can be quantitatively appreciated from well-matched case-controls studies in subjects with T2DM and no clinically evident cardiovascular disease or overt diabetic complications, consistently appearing as a 20–30% reduction in VO2peak in both adults [18, 24, 25] and adolescents [26, 27].
Why this rating
Based on a review of multiple case-control studies and large cohort trials (LOOKAHEAD), though heterogeneity exists.
Source
Type 2 diabetes and reduced exercise tolerance: a review of the literature through an integrated physiology approach
Lorenzo Nesti et al. · Cardiovascular Diabetology · 2020
DOI 10.1186/s12933-020-01109-1
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- Skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced capillary density contribute to early fatigue and reduced peripheral oxygen extraction in T2DM.Moderate
- Endothelial dysfunction and impaired vasodilation during exercise reduce muscle blood flow and oxygen diffusion in T2DM.Moderate
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