Effects of aerobic versus resistance training on glycaemic control in men with type 2 diabetes

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of aerobic training and resistance training on glycaemic control factors in men with type 2 diabetes. We performed a randomized clinical trial in which 26 men (age 57 +/- 8 years) with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to an aerobic training group or a resistance training group. The participants exercised three times a week for 12 weeks. Metabolic factors (haemoglobin A(1C); fasting glucose and C-peptide; total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol; triglycerides), blood pressure, body composition, maximum oxygen uptake, and muscular strength were measured before and after the intervention. Both training groups experienced significant improvements in haemoglobin A(1C): the aerobic training group saw a decrease in absolute values from 7.10 +/- 0.97% to 6.55 +/- 0.74% (P = 0.001) and the resistance training group from 7.21 +/- 1.8% to 6.85 +/- 0.66% (P = 0.024). Both training groups had significant improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P<0.05) and in several of the measured body composition variables (P<0.05). In conclusion, the aerobic and resistance training groups saw similar improvements in glycaemic control. This suggests that both aerobic training and resistance training have beneficial effects for men with type 2 diabetes.