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Aerobic circuit exercise training: effect on adolescents with well-controlled insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
P E Mosher1, M S Nash, A C Perry
1Exercise Science, Health and Leisure Studies Department, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA.
Objectives:
To test the safety and effects of exercise conditioning on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, muscle strength, glucose regulation, and lipid/cholesterol levels.
Subjects:
Ten male adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 10 adolescent nondiabetic (ND) subjects.
Design:
Pretest, posttest intervention trial with control group.
Setting:
University-based human performance laboratory.
Intervention:
Mixed endurance and calisthenic/strength activities performed at a rapid pace three times weekly for 12 weeks.
Results:
Only one subject with IDDM experienced hypoglycemia after a single exercise session. Both subject groups improved their cardiorespiratory endurance (p < .05). Lean body mass of IDDM subjects increased by 3.5% (p < .05). Subjects with and without IDDM lowered their percent body fat (p < .05 and .001, respectively). Strength improvement of IDDM subjects ranged from 13.7% (p < .001) to 44.4% (p < .01), depending upon the maneuver. Fasting blood plasma glucose for all subjects was unchanged by training, but glycosylated hemoglobin A1c of IDDM subjects was reduced by .96 percentage point (p < .05). Reductions of HbA1c benefitted subjects exhibiting poor preconditioning glycemic control. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was decreased in subjects with IDDM (p < .05), but not total cholesterol or triglycerides.
Conclusion:
Adolescents with IDDM undergoing aerobic circuit training improve their cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, lipid profile, and glucose regulation. Aerobic circuit training is safe for properly trained and monitored adolescent diabetics.