Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Aerobic (AER) and resistance (RES) exercise similarly improve HbA1c levels in type 2 diabetes subjects. However, it is still unknown whether exercise-induced acute changes in blood glucose differ according to exercise type. Our aim was to compare glucose level changes after a single bout of AER or RES exercise in trained diabetic subjects.

Methods: Twenty-five subjects participating in the RAED2 Study, a RCT designed to compare the effects of AER and RES training in diabetic patients, were submitted to a continuous glucose monitoring during a 60-min exercise and the following 48-h. Glucose concentration areas under the curve (AUC) during exercise, the subsequent night, and the 24-h period following the exercise, as well as the corresponding periods of the non-exercise day, and the low (LBGI) and high (HBGI) blood glucose indices, which summarize duration and extent of hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia, respectively, were assessed.

Results: AER and RES groups showed similar HbA1c improvements after training. However, comparison of glucose AUC during the 60-min exercise and the corresponding period of the non-exercise day showed different behaviors between groups (time-by-group interaction, p=0.04), glucose being lower during exercise in the AER but not in the RES group. Similar differences between groups were observed in the comparison of nocturnal periods of exercise and non-exercise days (p=0.02). Consistently, in the AER group nocturnal LBGI was higher in the exercise day than in the non-exercise day (p=0.012), whereas there were no differences in the RES group.

Conclusion: Although AER and RES training show similar long-term metabolic effects in diabetic subjects, the short-term effects of single bouts of these exercise types differ, with a potential increase in risk of late-onset hypoglycaemia after AER exercise. These findings suggest that, in diabetic subjects, medications and diet adjustments to exercise should take into account the scheduled type of physical activity.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This work was supported, however funding details unavailable.