Effect of regular exercise training on changes in HbA1c, BMI and VOmax among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an 8-year trial.

OBJECTIVE

The effects of regular exercise on the health promotion of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been well documented. The present study investigated the long-term effects of regular exercise training on biological indicators among these patients.

METHODS

In this quasi-experimental trial with pretest-post-test design, 65 patients with T2DM aged 33-69 years (experiment (35), control (30)) participated. After 8 years of conducting the program, the data on 30 patients (experiment (15), control (15)) were entered into analysis. The training program included aerobic exercise three sessions per week, 90 min, 50%-80% VOmax. Before and after the intervention, the biological indicators (hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI) and VOmax) were measured. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.

RESULTS

Our long-term exercise training program had a significant effect on HbA1C, BMI and Vomax (P<0.05). Compared with patients in the control group, HbA1c was significantly reduced and BMI and VOmax were significantly improved among the experiment group.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term regular physical activity training was found to be helpful in improving glycemic control, body composition and cardiovascular fitness among patients with T2DM. Long-term continuous physical activity offsets the deteriorations of biological indicators found in the control group. Further research, with a particular focus on practical and real-world programming, is needed to determine the responsive health outcomes of such long-term programs on the patients.