Pedalling towards better health: a randomised controlled trial of aerobic cycling to improve glycaemic control and quality of life in middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the 3-month impact of aerobic cycling on metabolic health and quality of life in middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes in a randomised controlled trial.

METHOD

A randomised controlled trial was conducted from July to November 2023 in five government hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 120 male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (aged 50-65 years, body mass index (BMI) >25 kg/m², fasting plasma glucose (FPG) >140 mg/dL) were randomised into an exercise group (EG, n=60) and a control group (CG, n=60). The EG underwent a supervised aerobic cycling programme for 12 weeks (4 sessions/week, 50 min/session), while the CG continued usual care. Outcomes including BMI, weight, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), FPG, blood pressure (BP), fat mass and Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) were measured preintervention and postintervention. Data were analysed using independent t-tests and multivariate regression (p<0.05).

RESULTS

115 participants completed the study (eg,=55, CG=60). Postintervention, the EG showed significant reductions in FPG (154.6±22.6 vs 174.8±20.2 mg/dL; p=0.004), systolic BP (129.9±13.8 vs 145.2±16.8 mm Hg; p=0.003), diastolic BP (79.2±8.1 vs 82.0±8.8 mm Hg; p=0.022), fat mass (38.2%±7.1% vs 42.0%±6.2%; p=0.005) and WHR (1.0±0.1 vs 0.9±0.1; p=0.045). DQOL scores improved significantly in the EG (2.5±0.53) vs CG (3.5±1.2; p=0.004). Weight and BMI also decreased in the EG (p=0.047, p=0.053). Multivariate regression showed exercise as a significant predictor of weight loss (β=-1.5, p=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

A 3-month aerobic cycling programme significantly enhanced metabolic health and quality of life in middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes.