The Effect of Resistance Training on Cardio-Metabolic Factors in Males with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Diabetes is one of the most important metabolic diseases in the world and exercise is a common advice to manage diabetes and reduce its complications. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resistance training on blood glucose, blood pressure and resting heart rate in males with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 20 males with type 2 diabetes with mean age of 46 ± 3.4 years old who met the inclusion criteria were selected. The participants were randomly assigned into resistance training (n = 10) and control (n = 10) groups. Resistance exercise training program was performed for eight weeks, three sessions per week. Cardiovascular and biochemical parameters were measured before and after the intervention. To analyze the measured parameters changes t-test was used at P ≤ 0.05 significance level. Results: After eight weeks, a significant decrease in fasting blood sugar (P = 0.002), glycosylated hemoglobin (P = 0.025) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.022) was observed in the resistance group. In addition, there was a significant difference in blood sugar (P = 0.003) and glycosylated hemoglobin (P = 0.031) between the two groups. Conclusions: Findings of this study confirmed the positive influence of resistance training to control blood glucose and blood pressure in males with type 2 diabetes.