Most Effective Exercise to Reduce Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes
posted 12/27/03
Aerobic exercise alone is not sufficient.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a combined resistance and aerobic training program would improve insulin sensitivity compared with aerobic training alone in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. A second objective was to relate the improved insulin sensitivity to changes in abdominal adipose tissue (AT) and thigh muscle density.

The study included a total of 28 obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to one of three 16-week treatments: control, aerobic only training (Ae only), or aerobic plus resistance training (Ae+RT). Pre- and posttreatment outcome measures included glucose disposal by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp and computed tomography scans of abdominal AT and mid-thigh skeletal muscle.

The results showed that glucose infusion rates increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the Ae+RT group. Both exercise groups had reduced abdominal subcutaneous and visceral AT and increased muscle density. The Ae+RT training group exhibited a significantly greater increase in muscle density than the Ae only group. Improved glucose disposal was independently associated with changes in subcutaneous AT, visceral AT, and muscle density. Muscle density retained a relationship with glucose disposal after controlling for abdominal AT.

From the results it was concluded that enhanced glucose uptake was seen in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes after a combined aerobic plus resistance training program. This improvement was related to losses of AT area from abdominal subcutaneous depot and to increases in thigh muscle cross-sectional area and thigh muscle attenuation characteristics. We conclude that a combined endurance plus resistance training program is most effective in improving insulin sensitivity in these women and that the improvements are associated with changes in muscle characteristics brought about by strength training.

Adding resistance training to aerobic training enhanced glucose disposal in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. The improved insulin sensitivity is related to loss of abdominal subcutaneous and visceral AT and to increased muscle density.

Source: Diabetes In Control.com: Diabetes Care: Vol 26 No 12, 2003.

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