Key result
Body-weight functional exercise significantly reduced blood glucose immediately post-exercise (-2.2 mmol/L) without hypoglycaemia, and was more enjoyable than aerobic or strength exercises.
Why the study?
Aerobic and strength exercises are commonly recommended for patients with T1DM but may not suit everyone, prompting investigation into body-weight functional exercise as an alternative.
Does a 30-min session of body-weight functional exercise reduce blood glucose compared to interval aerobic and strength exercises in patients with type-1 diabetes?
RCT (n=10)
randomized crossover
Does a 30-min session of body-weight functional exercise reduce blood glucose compared to interval aerobic and strength exercises in patients with type-1 diabetes?
Body-weight functional exercise is a safe, effective, and enjoyable alternative to aerobic and strength exercises for acute blood glucose reduction in patients with type 1 diabetes.
BWFE may suit select T1DM patients unwilling or unable to perform standard exercise; leaves open its effects on sustained glycemic control.
Aerobic and strength exercises are commonly recommended for patients with type-1 diabetes (T1DM) but may not suit everyone. Body-weight functional exercise (BWFE) could offer an alternative for diabetes management. We aimed to compare blood glucose (BG), cardiovascular responses and enjoyment levels following a 30-min session of BWFE versus interval aerobic exercise (IAE) and strength exercise (STE) in patients with T1DM. Ten T1DM participants (seven female) completed three randomised exercise sessions. BG, heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and double product (DP) were measured before (PRE), immediately after (POST-0) and 20 min post-exercise (POST-20). Maximum and average HR were recorded, and enjoyment levels (EL) were assessed post-exercise. Statistical analysis used generalised estimated equations, with minimal detectable difference for assessing clinical significance. We observed clinically meaningful reductions in BG after all sessions, but only BWFE showed a statistically significant drop at POST-0 (−2.2 mmol/L) without hypoglycaemia. HR, BP and DP responses were similar across sessions. BWFE showed the highest EL and maximal HR. BWFE effectively lowered BG safely and provided comparable cardiovascular effects to IAE and STE while being more enjoyable. These findings support incorporating functional exercises into T1DM management to encourage sustained physical activity. • Body-weight functional exercise sessions lead to greater and safer reductions in post-exercise glucose levels. • Cardiovascular responses are similar across exercise types, but the body-weight functional sessions are more enjoyable. • Tailored exercise recommendations may be beneficial for individuals with type-1 diabetes.
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Soltani et al. (2025) conducted an RCT in Type-1 diabetes (T1DM) (n=10). Body-weight functional exercise (BWFE) vs. Interval aerobic exercise (IAE) and strength exercise (STE) was evaluated on Blood glucose reduction immediately post-exercise (POST-0). Body-weight functional exercise significantly reduced blood glucose immediately post-exercise (-2.2 mmol/L) without hypoglycaemia, and was more enjoyable than aerobic or strength exercises.
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