muscle triceps can have a protective effect

Playing Elbows against Diabetes? The idea seems absurd, and yet. In recent years, we know that muscles have an effect on the pancreas. In a recent article published in Scientific Reports French, Danish and Swiss researchers have shown that soliciting one's triceps – the muscles of the back of the arm – could have a protective effect on the cells of the pancreas , and benefit patients with type 2 diabetes.

Do not look, there is no hidden tendon that would connect the arms to the pancreas. In contrast, muscles, when stressed, secrete small proteins called myokines. These myokines can circulate in the blood and thus have a distant effect on all other organs. They are at the origin of the metabolic transformations caused by physical exercise.

But there are hundreds of different myokines, and one is far from knowing their effect or even the expression profile of each muscle. To the extent that the link between physical exercise and diabetes prevention is now well established, better knowledge and identification of myokines is a promising avenue of research.

The Triceps Against Diabetes

And researchers have identified a singular track . By badyzing the profiles of three different muscles – in the calf, thigh, and arm – they showed that only triceps cells produced myokines that had a protective effect on pancreatic cells. This experiment, performed in vitro, tends to validate the protective effect of physical exercise. But not just any one.

Skeletal muscles – those used to move – are composed of fibers of two types. The red fibers (slow contraction) react to moderate effort but prolonged in time, consuming oxygen. Conversely, white fibers (fast twitch and fatigable) are involved in more explosive efforts. A marathoner will solicit more his red fibers, and a sprinter his white fibers. (One can also think of beef and chicken …)

Rather chicken than beef

Of course, each muscle contains both types of fiber, but in varying proportions. But the triceps, which are the largest muscles of the arms, tend to be more loaded with white fibers (fast and fatigable) than, for example, the soleus muscles (calf). Since they also tend to secrete beneficial myokines to the pancreas, it is tempting to think that it is the white fibers that have a protective effect on diabetes.

The conclusion is that it is probably better to privilege a physical exercise able to solicit the best muscular areas rich in fast fibers. This is particularly the case of large muscles of the arms (biceps, triceps) and pectorals. An activity that requires strength in the upper body, such as dumbbells or pumps, will be more suitable than endurance activity. As for the less athletic, they can always fall back on the vacuum or gardening …