Impact of short‐term aerobic and resistance training on acute post‐exercise blood glucose in Type 1 diabetic rodents

Abstract

Despite the benefits of exercise (EX), physical activity levels are lower in Type 1 diabetics (T1D) due to the frequency of EX‐induced hypoglycemia. The objective of this study was to examine T1D post‐EX blood glucose (BG) levels in response to different EX modalities and to determine if short‐term training can modulate these responses. Forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups; sedentary T1D (CD), T1D high intensity EX (DH), T1D low intensity EX (DL) and T1D resistance EX (DR). For 6 weeks, DH and DL rats ran on a treadmill at 27m/min and 15m/min, respectively, whereas DR climbed a vertical ladder while weighted. BG was measured for 2hrs post‐EX at week 3 and week 6. At week 3, DH had a significant fall in BG post‐EX, which sustained for 75min (p<0.05). DH demonstrated similar immediate reductions in BG at week 6; however, BG returned to pre‐EX values by 45min (p<0.05). DL had a significant drop in BG post‐ EX for >2hrs (p<0.05) at week 3; while at week 6, no immediate reductions in BG were evident up to 2hrs post‐EX. In contrast to aerobically trained animals, DR exhibited a post‐EX BG time course that was not significantly different from the BG regulation of CD animals throughout the 6 week study. To conclude, different EX modalities lead to differential regulation of BG following EX. In DH and DL, there appears to be a glucoregulatory adaptation to training that was not evident in DR rats. Supported by CIHR Grant #CCT‐ 83029.