[Effects of a six weeks exercise training program for type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertensive patients]

There is a wide interindividual variability in the response to a period of exercise training. The science have reported that a minimum of participants could be non-responders for improving different health-related outcomes after training.

To compare the effects of a 6-weeks exercise program on body composition, cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

Data from 23 trained subjects were used in a secondary analysis of the response to exercise. Of these, 14 were considered adherent to training and nine as non-adherent. Body mass, height, waist circumference, four skinfolds and their sum, blood pressure and plasma triglyceride levels were assessed before and after the training period.

Among adherent participants, significant reductions were observed in the sum of four skinfolds (30 ± 7 to 27 ± 6 mm, p ≤ 0.05), systolic blood pressure (133 ± 18 to 127 ± 20 mmHg; p ≤ 0.05) and plasma triglycerides (125 ± 58 to 102 ± 34 mg/dL; p ≤ 0.05). No changes were observed in weight or diastolic blood pressure. Among non-adherent participants, no changes of measured parameters were observed. Among adherent participants, 57% were considered as non-responders for waist circumference, 7% for the sum of skinfold thickness, 50% for systolic blood pressure, 64% for diastolic blood pressure and 57% for plasma triglycerides.

Participants with a good adherence to a 6-weeks exercise training program experienced overall improvement in body composition, blood pressure and plasma triglycerides. The prevalence of non-responders varied considerably among measured outcomes.