Are long Distance Athletes like marathon & 10,000 meter professional athletes in India prone to getting diabetes since the running done is the most. There is no such gym workout that is done by such kind of athletes. Unlike a Sprint runner who does only 100m, 200m or long jump or hurdles, a long distance is mostly running or a 3000 steplechase. Also, diabetes is on the insulin level in the body. I'm a middle distance runner. Hence, i'm asking this question.

Dr. Satish BhatEndocrinologist20yrs exp

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In a word, YES. Long distance runners can also develop diabetes, though the chances are much lesser than those in non-athletes. Diabetes doesn't mean the person has low Insulin alone. It means both that the person's body isn't producing enough Insulin for his/her requirements (known as Insulin deficiency) AND also that the Insulin that is produced is NOT able to exert its influence efficiently (a phenomenon known as Insulin Resistance). Thus, diabetes means both Insulin deficiency PLUS Insulin resistance and also a host of other metabolic derangements. I don't want to bore you any further... 

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