Aug. 22, 2011 It's common enough for researchers to look at the
impacts of prescribed drugs on the body. And if you're a
diabetes researcher who believes that exercise has great
benefits for those with type 2 diabetes, you're hoping your
research will show that. But when Normand Boulé looked at the
dual impacts of exercise and metformin -- two of the most
commonly-prescribed modalities for glucose control -- on that
very outcome, the hoped-for double whammy wasn't the result.
"The study had three objectives: we wanted to look at the effect
of metformin on exercise in people with type 2 diabetes, examine
the effect of exercise on metformin concentrations in the body,
and finally to look at the effects of metformin and exercise on
glucose control, which is essential for people with diabetes,"
says Boulé, whose study -- a randomized, double-blind, crossover
study -- involved a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from
five faculties at the U of A. Ten men and women between 30 and
65 with type 2 diabetes, but n