Diabetes affects 380 million people worldwide, with over 29 million

being Americans . Diabetes is the result of insulin complications within the

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body that affects glucose from being able to enter the cell. Insulin is a
hormone that helps glucose enter cells so they can use it as a form of energy.
For type one diabetics, the pancreas is unable to produce insulin , and
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similarly, type two diabetics are unable to use the insulin produced as their
bodies have become immune to it . Glucose, or sugar, is used as the bodys
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main energy source . In the body, glucose is joined together and then stored
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to be used as energy. Some foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are already
naturally high in glucose. These foods are digested slowly, which enables the
body to have a longer supply of energy and store the glucose that is not
needed at the time . With a high intake of such foods, heart disease, obesity,
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and some cancers are also common occurrences. In a study published in

2014, people who gained 17%-21% of their calories from sugar were 38%
more likely to die from cardiovascular failure . High glucose intake also
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takes a toll on your liver, with sugar being described by many as acting like
alcohol and obliterating the liver over time . Apart from sugary foods,
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around 42% of an Americans average glucose intake comes from soda and
sports drinks . Gatorade in particular, which is designed to keep one
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hydrated, is purely electrolytes and carbohydrates. An 8 oz. bottle of

Gatorade contains 14g of carbohydrates, all from sucrose, which is
composed of glucose and fructose . These carbohydrates break down in the
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body creating more glucose. Fructose, another type of sugar that is sweeter
than glucose is also very common. In soft drinks, fructose provides a sweet
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taste while giving off calories. It has been seen that from 1970 to 2000, there
has been a 25% available added sugar increase from fructose , meaning
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that fructose is being added to common foods such as soft drinks and
condiments .
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A recent study in 2015 showed that aerobic activity greatly reduced

fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels . The study tested to see if exercising for 40
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minutes twice a week on a stationary bike reduced FBS and PPBS

(postprandial (after lunch) glucose) levels and the results proved that it did.
The scientists tested 22 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis treatment for
16 sessions over the course of two months . During this time, they recorded
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no significant PPBS level changes in the first 8 sessions. However, after

comparing the 8th session with the results of the 16th session, it was shown
that PPBS and FBS levels dropped significantly . These results proved to
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scientists that over an extended period of time, exercise does have great
effects on blood sugar levels. In 1989, a similar experiment was conducted
through patients with impaired glucose tolerance . 5
The study involved over 110,000 patients (557 of them having impaired
glucose tolerance) being tested for 6 years to see if their glucose levels
would change. The goal was to discover whether, through diet, exercise, or
both, if the 557 IGT patients would develop diabetes. The 557 IGT positive
patients were separated into three groups; one that would be put on a diet,
one that would exercise every day, and another that would do both . The
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results were staggering, as almost 70% of the non-IGT positive patients

developed diabetes whereas only 40% of the patients who exercised
developed diabetes . This concluded that patients with IGT have a reduced
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chance of developing the condition if they exercise regularly. Thus, based on

the research conducted by numerous sources, I can hypothesize that glucose
levels should be reduced after you exercise, and will rise if one is to drink
Gatorade before exercising.
This research is crucial for the future of medical discoveries involving
diabetes. Since it is such a common condition, it is important that the public
is educated about how to control it long term. If my hypothesis is correct,
than exercising on a regular basis would reduce the overall chances of a
person being diagnosed with diabetes and drinking Gatorade will increase
glucose levels.