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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Glucose Uptake Measurement and Response to Insulin Stimulation in In Vitro Cultured Human Primary Myotubes

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Published on: June 25, 2017

Exercise, glucose transport, and insulin sensitivity

L J Goodyear¹, B B Kahn

¹Research Division, Joslin Diabetes Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. GOODYEAL@JOSLAB.HARVARD.EDU

Annual Review of Medicine

|March 24, 1998

Summary

Regular physical exercise improves glucose uptake in muscles, similar to insulin, and can reduce the risk of developing non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Exercise training also increases glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) expression in muscles.

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Area of Science:

Exercise physiology
Metabolic disease research

Background:

Physical exercise is a key component in managing both types of diabetes mellitus.
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of exercise's effects on glucose metabolism is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the molecular basis of physical exercise's beneficial effects on glucose metabolism in diabetes.
To examine how exercise influences glucose uptake and transporter expression in skeletal muscle.

Main Methods:

Review of molecular signaling pathways involved in exercise-induced glucose uptake.
Analysis of the role of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) translocation and expression.
Examination of adaptations in skeletal muscle due to exercise training.

Main Results:

A single exercise bout enhances glucose uptake in skeletal muscles via GLUT4 translocation, independent of insulin signaling pathways.
Exercise training increases GLUT4 expression in muscles, improving insulin responsiveness.
Epidemiological data strongly support regular exercise in reducing the risk of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions:

Exercise and insulin activate distinct pathways to increase glucose transport, benefiting individuals with insulin resistance.
While acute exercise boosts glucose uptake, the impact of training on overall glucose control in diabetics varies.
Long-term physical activity is a significant factor in preventing non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.