Improvement in biochemical parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes after twenty-four sessions of aerobic exercise: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Diabetes is a cosmopolitan health problem worldwide, especially in Asia. It is a metabolic disorder originating from insulin secretion deficiency, insulin performance or both. When both factors are involved, abnormal complications may result. Exercise training plays an important role in controlling diabetic parameters, including biomechanical variables. Objectives: This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of exercise on biochemical parameters in patients with diabetes. Methods: This study was a randomized control trial. A total of 30 volunteers met the inclusion criteria and were randomly divided to 2 groups, aerobic and control, by block randomization method. This study was performed during May to October 2016 in Iran. The intervention protocol included 24 sessions (8 weeks) of aerobic exercise on the treadmill with zero slope, 3 days per week for 30 minutes per session. Intensity of training protocol was 50% to 70% maximum heart rate. Measurements of biochemical parameters were done before and after the 24 sessions Results: There were no significant differences in anthropometric, gender, age, diabetic history, cardiac ejection fraction, and biochemical variables (P > 0.05). After 8 weeks, results were as follows: fasting blood glucose (FBS) (130.92 (45.43) Mg/dL), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (6.62 (1.52) percent), cholesterol (150.62 (24.07) Mg/dL), triglyceride (119.62 (39.18) Mg/dL), Low density lipoprotein (LDL) (77.23 (26.73) Mg/dL), and very low density of lipoprotein (VLDL) (23.92 (7.90) Mg/dL); these were significantly reduced in the training group (P < 0.05), yet, not in the control group. Alternatively, high density lipoprotein (HDL) remained unchanged in the aerobic group (47.85 (17.83) Mg/dL) while it was increased in the control group (42.07 (8.86) Mg/dL). Also, C-reactive protein (CRP)) 2.43 (1.03) Mg/L) and microalbumin (12.32 (1.21) Mg) values didn’t change between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Eight weeks of aerobic exercise was shown to be effective in controlling biochemical parameters. However, longer training duration is needed in order to modify CRP.