Two-year-supervised resistance training prevented diabetes incidence in people with prediabetes: A randomised control trial.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the long-term effects of aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT), and combined training (AT+RT) on the prevention of T2D incidence in patients with prediabetes. In this randomised controlled trial, people with prediabetes (fasting glucose ≥5.6 and <7.0mmol/L and/or 2-h glucose ≥7.8 and <11.1mmol/L on the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and/or haemoglobin A1c ≥5.7% and <6.4%) were randomly assigned to the control group, AT group, RT group, or AT+RT group. Supervised exercise programmes, including AT, RT, and AT+RT, were completed for 60minutes per day, three non-consecutive days per week for 24months. The primary outcome was the incidence of T2D; secondary outcomes were blood glucose and lipid levels, including total cholesterol (TC) and standard 2-hour oral glucose tolerance (2hPG). A total of 137 (80%) subjects with a mean age of 59years (45 men, 92 women) entered the final analysis. After 24months of intervention, the incidences of T2D adjusted by sex and age were significantly decreased by 74% (95% CI, 38-89), 65% (95% CI, 21-85), and 72% (95% CI, 36-87) in the AT+RT, RT, and AT groups compared with the control group (HR: AT+RT 0.26 [95% CI, 0.11-0.62], RT 0.35 [95% CI, 0.15-0.79], and AT 0.28 [95% CI, 0.13-0.64]). The cumulative T2D incidences were significantly lower in the AT+RT, RT, and AT groups than in the control group (21%, 26%, and 22% vs 69%). The blood glucose and lipid profiles improved more in the AT, RT, and AT+RT groups than in the control group. RT and RT plus AT were as effective as isolated AT in preventing progression to T2D.