Running or Weightlifting? New Study Reveals Which Exercise Has Greater Anti-Diabetes Benefits

In the fitness world, there's long been a debate on whether running or lifting weights is better for your body. And while there are undoubtedly benefits to both, new research gives a win to the weightlifters. A recent study published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that weightlifting was more effective than running at reducing fat and improving blood sugar control, giving it a slight leg up when it comes to metabolic health.

Researchers compared how resistance and endurance exercise affect obesity and metabolic health by feeding male mice a high-fat diet for eight weeks. Some mice had access to running wheels to simulate endurance training, while others followed a weightlifting routine designed to mimic resistance exercise.

Over the study period, researchers tracked weight gain, body composition, and fat distribution, tested exercise capacity, and examined heart and muscle function. They also measured how well the mice regulated blood sugar and analyzed skeletal muscle tissue to study insulin signaling at the molecular level.

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The results showed that both running and weightlifting helped reduce fat and improve glucose regulation. However, resistance training stood out for reducing visceral and subcutaneous fat, improving glucose tolerance, and lowering insulin resistance, which are all key factors in preventing and managing diabetes.

"Our data showed that both running and weightlifting reduce fat in the abdomen and under the skin and improve blood glucose maintenance with better insulin signaling in skeletal muscle,” said Zhen Yan, PhD, professor, and one of the study authors. "Importantly, weightlifting outperforms running in these health benefits."

For people who can't engage in endurance exercise, the findings are encouraging. Considering that more than 38 million Americans have diabetes, incorporating resistance exercise into regular routines could have major public health implications.

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