Physical Activity

For a long time, it was thought that the hormone insulin was necessary for stimulation of glucose uptake into cells, i.e. for energy to enter cells. Today we know that when we use our muscles, for instance when we exercise, glucose can enter the cell by an insulin-independent mechanism. 

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The background for this knowledge comes from studies Harriet Wallberg and her team performed at Washington University School of Medicine during the 1980s. She could demonstrate that glucose transport is increased in working muscle cells in the absence of insulin. Since then, she and her research team have demonstrated that regular physical activity can ameliorate insulin resistance characteristic of type 2-diabetes.