Research

Energy balance

A 12-week combined endurance and resistance exercise training program increases mitochondrial content and intrinsic mitochondrial function in patients with type 2 diabetes to a similar extent as in healthy control individuals, paralleled by improved insulin sensitivity.

If you have type 2 diabetes, a 12-week program of combined cardio (cycling) and strength training can boost your muscle's energy-producing mitochondria just as much as it does for healthy people. You don't need to do more than a healthy person to get this benefit; your body is capable of the same adaptation. Stick to a consistent routine, and your insulin sensitivity will likely improve alongside your mitochondrial health.

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Diabetic patients increased their mitochondrial content to the same extent as control individuals and had similar intrinsic mitochondrial function, which occurred parallel with improved insulin sensitivity.
Esther Phielix et al. · Diabetologia · 2010

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial design with matched controls, objective high-resolution respirometry, and hyperinsulinemic-euglycaemic clamps, though sample size is modest (n=29).

Source

Exercise training increases mitochondrial content and ex vivo mitochondrial function similarly in patients with type 2 diabetes and in control individuals

Esther Phielix et al. · Diabetologia · 2010

DOI 10.1007/s00125-010-1764-2

rct · n=29Cited 210×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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