Walking downhill/uphill interesting exercise research

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Walking downhill helps lower blood sugar levels, uphill helps

cholesterol levels

08 Nov 2004 http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=16033

If you are too weak, unfit or heavy to embark on an exercise program,

you should try walking downhill. Walking downhill is good for lowering

your blood glucose levels, say Austrian researchers. Walking uphill

reduces triglycerides - these are important components of cholesterol.

Dr. Heinz Drexel, Voralberg Institute, Feldirch, Austria, says that

walking downhill may be a good starting point for sedentary people to

start exercising. It is much easier and it does you a lot of good.

Drexel says that walking downhill reduces the risks (effects) of

diabetes. Drexel carried out his research in the Austrian Alps.

Drexel and team got 45 healthy, sedentary people to walk on a steep

mountain for 3-5 days per week for two months. 50% of the group went up

by cable car and walked down each time, the other 50% walked up and came

down by cable car. For the following two months the two groups swapped.

In order to make sure all members were doing this properly the

researchers checked their cable car tickets each day. 36 hours after

each walk the walkers' cholesterol, including LDL and triglycerides, as

well as blood sugar levels were checked.

The researchers did not expect to see much benefit from walking

downhill. They found, however, that the downhill walkers were better

able to handle sugar. Walking uphill, on the other hand, seemed to have

no impact on handling sugar.

LDL cholesterol levels went down for both uphill and downhill walkers,

much more for the uphill walkers. Uphill walkers also had much lower

triglycerides levels.

Drexel says his next research will be on how downhill walking may help

diabetics.