Effects of a three-month combined training program on the cardiopulmonary and muscle strength capacities of type 2 diabetic subjects.

AIM: For many years, exercise has been regarded as one of the three primary interventions to treat type 2 diabetes along with diet and medication. Combined exercise programs consisting of both aerobic and resistance training have been demonstrated to have more benefits in a sedentary population than either type of training alone. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of combined exercise training on physiological parameters (cardiopulmonary, blood, muscle) of a type 2 diabetic population.
METHODS: Twelve type 2 diabetic patients (6 males and 6 females) performed a three-month combined exercise program comprised of two sessions of exercise per week. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing, blood sampling, anthropometric measurements and strength tests were carried out on each subject before (PRE) and immediately after (POST) the training program.
RESULTS: The VO2peak and the maximal aerobic power during exercise, the blood profile and the body mass were unchanged after the three-month training program. However, the oxygen uptake and the heart rate at submaximal exercise intensity were significantly lower after the three-month training and muscle strength for many muscle groups was significantly increased.
CONCLUSION: These results highlighted the effectiveness of the combined training to improve submaximal cardiopulmonary efficiency and muscle strength capacity of type 2 diabetic patients.