Aerobic exercise with weight training might prevent type 2 diabetes

Japan: Aerobic exercise with weight resistance training might be beneficial for the prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a retrospective cohort study of over 10,000 Japanese women.

The study, published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation, found that Japanese women engaging in aerobic exercise with weight resistance training developed T2D less often compared with those who exercised less frequently.

The WHO announced an increase in the number of diabetes patients from 108 million in 1980 to a whopping 422 million in 2014. In absence of effective measure, this number is expected to reach 700 million by 2025. This increasing trend is mostly represented by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A number of factors play a role in the onset of T2D apart from genetic factors; environmental factors lifestyle, physical activity, and proper diet. Keeping this in mind, it is important to identify the necessary components of physical activity and diet for T2D prevention.

Susumu S Sawada, professor in the school of sports sciences at Waseda University in Japan, and colleagues conducted this study to investigate the relationship between combined aerobic and resistance training, and the incidence of T2D.

For the purpose, the research team examined data from the Curves Japan Study on 10,680 women (mean age, 57.8 years; mean BMI, 23.2 kg/m²) who were enrolled as members in Curves fitness training facilities in Japan from July 2005 to July 2010. The participants took part in 30-minute combined aerobic and resistance training programs, which consisted of 24 minutes of combined exercise and 6 minutes of stretching. After a median follow-up period of 5 years, participants completed questionnaires about their medical history currently and at enrollment and to report whether and when they were diagnosed with diabetes.

At follow-up, 166 participants had received a T2D diagnosis.