Cycling to Regulate Random Blood Glucose Levels in Individuals with Diabetes

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In Indonesia, the four pillars of diabetes management include health education, food planning, physical exercise, and drug adherence. However, the most common imprudence in those four pillars was ignoring physical activity. Cycling has become a new social activity and a lifestyle among the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an aerobic exercise that increases insulin receptor sensitivity. AIM: This study aims to analyze the effect of cycling on Random Blood Glucose (RBG) levels in individuals with diabetes. METHODOLOGY: This paper used a quasi-experiment pre-post test design with the control group. It utilized total sampling with 60 respondents. The independent variable was cycling using a dynamic bicycle. Meanwhile, the dependent variable was RBG levels with a glucometer as the instrument. The procedure in the intervention group was cycling using a dynamic bicycle twice a week with a distance of 2–3 kilometers each session. The data analysis used a paired T-test and independent sample T-test. RESULTS: After cycling, the independent T-test result was p = 0.00 (p < 0.05). Thus, there was a difference in the mean RBG levels between the intervention and control groups after cycling. There was a decrease in mean RBG levels in the intervention group (206.67 ± 69.887 in pre-test and 114.60 ± 30.395 in post-test). In addition, the paired T-test resulted in p = 0.00 (p < 0.05). Thus, there was a difference in the intervention group’s mean RBG levels before and after cycling CONCLUSION: Cycling can lower RBG levels in individuals with diabetes.