This randomized controlled trial was undertaken to compare aerobic training, resistance training, and a combination of both on HbA1c in sedentary women and men with type 2 diabetes while maintaining similar weekly training durations. The cohort of the Health benefits of Aerobic and Resistance Training in individuals with type 2 Diabetes (HART-D) study included 262 adults aged 30 to 75 years with HbA1c of 6.5% to 11.0%. The intervention consisted of a 9-month exercise intervention with a control and 3 different exercise groups: aerobic training only (n=72), resistance training only (n=73), and a combination of aerobic and resistance training (n=76). Results showed that although both resistance and aerobic training provided benefits, only the combination of the two were associated with statistically significant reductions in HbA1c levels. All exercise groups in HART-D had a reduction of waist circumference compared with the control group. As the changes in hypoglycemic medication were left to the discretion of the participants and their physicians, the combined training group had the largest decreases and the smallest increases in the use of hypoglycemic medication. The authors highlighted the fact that their two most important goals in this study were achieved as the total duration of weekly exercise was similar across exercise groups and the aerobic prescriptions met current guidelines. In their editorial comment, Sigal RJ and Kenny GP qualified the findings of the HART-D trial as important for several reasons such as the study duration, the relatively large, ethnically diverse men and women study population, and the similar weekly exercise time duration across exercise groups. The authors underlined the fact that this study clarified the question of whether the combination of aerobic and resistance exercise was better than either one alone for a given amount of time.
Documentation centre