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Exercise training reduced central adiposity, HbA1c
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The introduction of a randomized 9-month exercise training program led to changes in body fat distribution and HbA1c levels among patients with type 2 diabetes, according to data published in Diabetes Care.
Martin Sénéchal, PhD, of the University of Manitoba in Canada, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, and colleagues conducted a secondary analysis of the Health Benefits of Aerobic and Resistance Training in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (HART-D) study, randomly assigning 201 patients (mean age, 56.7 years; mean BMI, 34.3) to aerobic, resistance or combined training for 9 months, or a control group.
The researchersmeasured patients’ HbA1c, waist circumference, total and trunk fat mass, appendicular fat mass, lean body mass, isokinetic leg muscle strength, peak oxygen uptake and estimated metabolic syndromes (METs) at baseline and at the time of follow-up. Mean type 2 diabetes duration was 7.3 years.
According to data, unadjusted changes in HbA1c were associated with changes in body weight (P=.052), waist circumference (P=.013), trunk fat mass (P=.005) and estimated METs (P=.023). More significantly, the researchers reported a trend in changes to HbA1c levels across quartiles of waist circumference (P=.011), trunk fat mass (P=.02) and estimated METs (P=.011).
Moreover, patients who displayed increased estimated METs and reduced trunk fat mass also demonstrated greater likelihood of reduced HbA1c after training (OR=3.48; 95% CI, 1.46-8.31). Similarly, the researchers wrote that patients with increased estimated METs and reduced waist circumference (OR=2.81; 95% CI, 1.13-6.98) were more likely to have reduced HbA1c levels and utilization of type 2 diabetes medication compared with controls.
“These findings have clinical implications for the design of exercise training programs used to treat individuals with type 2 diabetes because they suggest that a concomitant reduction in central adiposity and increase in fitness should be the main focus of an exercise intervention aiming to improve glycemic control,” researchers wrote.
They suggest further studies that investigate the mechanisms of exercise training programs.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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