Multidimensional effects of personalized exercise intervention in type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.

Area of Science:

• Exercise physiology
• Metabolic disorders
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by progressive fat accumulation and muscle loss.
• Effective strategies are needed to concurrently address both body composition changes in T2D.
• Abdominal obesity is a common comorbidity in T2D, exacerbating metabolic dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of a 16-week personalized exercise training program on body composition in adults with T2D and abdominal obesity.
• To assess the impact of this training on metabolic, physical fitness, and cognitive outcomes.
• To explore the relationship between skeletal muscle improvements and associated metabolic and neurocognitive benefits.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial with 103 participants with T2D and abdominal obesity.
• Participants were assigned to either a control group (habitual lifestyle) or an exercise group (personalized combined training).
• Primary outcome was change in fat mass; secondary outcomes included body composition, glycemic regulation, physical fitness, and cognitive function.

Main Results:

• The exercise group exhibited a significantly greater reduction in fat mass (-1.20 kg) and an increase in skeletal muscle percentage compared to the control group.
• Personalized exercise led to reduced abdominal fat, increased lower limb muscle, improved glycemic control, and enhanced physical fitness.
• Cognitive function, including Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores, perceptual speed, working memory, and executive function, improved significantly more in the exercise group.

Conclusions:

• A 16-week personalized exercise training program is effective for promoting fat loss and muscle gain in individuals with T2D.
• The intervention confers significant metabolic and neurocognitive benefits, including improved glycemic regulation and enhanced cognitive performance.
• Improvements in skeletal muscle mass are associated with positive metabolic and neurocognitive changes, suggesting a holistic benefit of exercise in T2D management.