Effects of progressive resistance training and aerobic exercise on type 2 diabetics in Indian population

Background and objective: The Indian population faces a high risk for diabetes because of a high genetic predisposition and susceptibility to environmental insults. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 16 weeks of Progressive resistance training (PRT) and Aerobic exercise (AE) on glycemic control, blood pressure, heart rate, muscle strength and control of type 2 diabetics. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 type 2 diabetics, 14 females and 16 males, aged between 40-70 years, were randomly assigned to the 16 weeks supervised PRT (n=10), or AE (n=10) or Control group (n=10). Pre- and post-outcome measures included glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and isometric muscle strength of the right hamstring and quadriceps muscles. Results: Plasma glycosylated hemoglobin levels decreased significantly (p=0.002) both in the PRT (7.57 ± 1.4 to 5.74 ± 0.8) and in AE group (8.11 ± 0.9 to 6.78 ± 1.3). FBG decreased by 39.9% in PRT group by14.3% in AE group and by 18.6% in the control group. PRT group exhibited significant reductions in blood pressure (p=0.002 for systolic BP, p<0.001 for diastolic BP) and heart rate (p=0.007). Improvements in isometric muscle strength and balance were seen in both exercise groups. Conclusion: PRT is a more effective form of exercise training than AE for improving glycemic control, blood pressure and heart rate in type 2 diabetics.