Study: former endurance athletes much less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes

A life of endurance running will significantly reduce your chance of Type 2 diabetes.

A Finnish study published in Diabetologia found that former elite athletes have their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes reduced by 28 per cent, a significant difference from the general population. Being a former elite endurance athlete is an even stronger deterrent, reducing chances of the disease developing by 61 per cent, a huge margin.

The study has been ongoing since 1985, when researchers had former elite athletes fill out a questionnaire. The original survey included 1,518 athletes and a control group of 1,010 people.

Further surveys were done in 1995 and 2001, and all survey participants who were still alive in 2008 were asked to participate in a clinical study that included a physical examination and testing. About half agreed.