Research out of York University on how exercise improves muscle health in those with Type 2 diabetes was presented during the 79th American Diabetes Association (ADA) conference on June 9.
York University Associate Professor Christopher Perry, in the Faculty of Health, Kinesiology & Health Science, was invited to share his research at the conference, which is the leading meeting in the world for diabetes research.
People living with Type 2 diabetes can suffer from high blood sugar, which has the risk of leading to other conditions, including heart and kidney disease. Perry’s presentation highlighted how maintaining healthy muscles by exercising is a key strategy for improving the lives of people with Type 2 diabetes.
“Type 2 diabetes is a disease that causes high blood sugar, which can lead to many other diseases such as heart and kidney disease,” said Perry. “Fortunately, our muscles use blood sugar when they are working, which means that exercise can be a powerful therapy in keeping blood sugars at healthier levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.”
Perry’s presentation, “The Variable Mitochondrial Response to Exercise with Diabetes,” was one of four talks delivered by leading experts on how diabetes impacts the health benefits of exercise training. Perry was the only presenter from Canada.
Perry was the recipient of the 2017 Faculty of Health Research Award (early career) at York University for his contributions in the fields of exercise physiology, metabolism and skeletal muscle health.
Perry established the only human muscle biopsy lab at York, where he investigates the basic cellular mechanisms of muscle fitness and applies these discoveries towards developing novel therapies to treat muscle weakness disorders. He has received multiple internal and external awards, including funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research Fund, the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada, the James H. Cummings Foundation and the Rare Disease Foundation.