Comparing the effects of 6 months aerobic exercise and resistance training on metabolic control and β-cell function...

It is clear that aerobic training (AT) can delay pancreatic exhaustion and slow the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes (T2D), but there is little information regarding the effects of resistance training (RT) in people with prediabetes. This study compared the effectiveness of RT and AT in improving metabolic control and protecting β-cell function in people with prediabetes.

Chinese subjects (n = 248) with prediabetes were randomized to three groups: AT (n = 83), RT (n = 82) and control (n = 83). Subjects in the RT group performed 13 different resistance exercises per session using an elastic string. Those in the AT group performed aerobic exercises at 60%-70% of maximum heart rate. In both cases, exercises were performed three times per week for a period of 6 months. The primary outcome was improvement in metabolic control. Longitudinal changes between groups were tested using repeated-measures analysis of variance.

Of the initial 248 participants, 217 finished the study, but all participants were included in the intention-to-treat analyses. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics among the RT, AT, and control groups (P > 0.05). Changes in HbA1c were not significantly greater in RT than AT cohort (P = 0.059), but the decrease in HbA1c in both exercise groups was higher than in the control group (P < 0.05).

In subjects with prediabetes, RT appears to improve metabolic control and preserve β-cell function comparable to AT.